Stories of Innocence
by sinfulchihuahua0602
Summary: A collection of short stories (five chapters or less) about Loki's youth. For those people who have a sudden craving for when Loki was happy and before Odin happened.
1. Chapter 1: Of Magic and Steel

_A/N: This is a collection of short stories for those people who just want Loki in his youth . . . it's fun writing him. I know sometimes I just want the happy moments, before_ _ **Odin**_ _happened (collective Loki fandom noise of disgust). Anyway, enjoy the stories! They're longer than a regular chapter because they're an entire story (maybe some of them will be two chapters if they're too long). I don't know how often I'll update this, whenever I get inspiration for a youthful moment._

 _Enjoy!_

 ** _All recognizable Marvel content belongs to Marvel, not me._**

 ** _Of Magic and Steel_**

"Ha!" Thor triumphantly stood over Fandral's prone form, pointing the tip of his sword at the boy's throat. Loki stood off to the side, and Sif, Volstagg, and Hogun were clustered together several feet away.

Thor stepped off of Fandral and sheathed his sword. The young prince helped Fandral up and he smiled at the boy. Thor turned to the rest of the group.

"Anyone else?" he asked smugly. Loki had watched him defeat Fandral in less than a minute—his swordsmanship was improving vastly. Of course, Loki had also improved greatly with his daggers, and magic . . . but Odin wouldn't notice that. He had eyes only for Thor—the golden prince of Asgard. Even at a young age, Loki could see his father's favoritism.

Loki stepped forward from the shadows underneath the tree boldly. "I'll try." He took his place facing opposite Thor, who looked with surprise as he took his stance.

"Bet he loses within the first thirty seconds." Loki heard Sif's muttered comment to Fandral, who only shrugged. He gritted his teeth and pulled out two daggers. Hopefully he'd win for once against his brother.

They circled each other. Thor lunged at Loki, but his sword fell on empty air as Loki attacked from behind. The illusion disappeared and Loki's blades grazed along Thor's back. They were enchanted to feel the same as a wound, but not to actually inflict a wound. Thor cried out as he spun around. His young face twisted into frustration.

"Loki, you know I can't beat you with your tricks!" he whined as he struggled to figure out if the Loki in front of him was an illusion or not.

"You beat me all the time anyways," he said calmly. Thor fell for his tricks again, and this time Loki swept his foot across Thor's legs, and he toppled over onto his back. Loki stood over him, one dagger aimed at his throat. He held that pose for a second before stepping off, sheathing his daggers and helping Thor up.

Thor glared at Loki. "Not fair," he complained.

"And why exactly would that not be fair, my son?" Frigga's voice came from the trees, and she walked up to them smiling, her soft, elegant blue robes swishing around her. She put an arm around Thor's shoulders and glanced from Thor to Loki.

"Because he beat me with his tricks!" Thor cried out loudly. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Thor, not all fights are fair. You should know that. What if you had to fight me? I'm much older, and much stronger, and yes, I might even use some magic as well," Frigga explained. Loki broke out into a smirk as he watched Thor get a lesson in defeat.

"But—but—" Thor whined to Frigga as she walked him out of the dirt training ring. She flashed a proud look at Loki over Thor's shoulder, and he smiled at his mother in return. A happy glow spread through him; he always loved it when Frigga came to his defense. He was bullied too much by Thor's friends, and Thor himself.

"But he shouldn't have been able to beat me!" Thor's voice faded as he and Frigga walked away, and Loki turned to Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and Sif. He smiled.

"Does anyone want to train with me next?" he asked cheerfully. His spirits were high after Frigga's defense of him; he searched the faces of Thor's friends and found resentment, disdain, and disgust. They all turned and walked away, returning their practice weapons to the shed and going back into the palace.

Loki's spirits dropped, and his shoulders slumped. He turned away and went into a different door to the palace, holding back his tears. Why did they always reject him so?

He was slowly beginning to learn that kids were most likely the cruelest people of them all.

…

Loki felt Frigga's arms cradle him as he cried into her chest. She leaned back in the armchair, humming softly to him.

"They—they always l-l-leave," he hiccuped. "A-and they n-n-never g-give m-me a ch-chance!"

"It's okay," Frigga murmured. "It's all right. You'll be okay."

Loki gave one last sob before his breaths quieted and he calmed. He pulled away from Frigga, tilting his body backwards so he could look sorrowfully up at her. She returned his gaze with warmth and love.

"I'll tell them to give you a chance more often. Is that okay?" she asked. Loki shook his head, his eyes red from crying.

"They won't listen. They never do." He leaned forward again and buried his face in her chest, relishing the soft warmth his mother gave off.

A mischievous smile slowly spread across Frigga's face. "Tell you what," she said. She gently lifted young Loki off of her lap and set him to stand on the ground. He looked curiously as she stood up and walked over to the window that overlooked the gardens.

She glanced down at him as he stood beside her, and bent down to meet her blue eyes with his green. His eyes searched her face, and he smirked at his mother's own mischievous smile.

"You go get Thor and his friends to walk in the gardens after dinner. I will give you permission to play any small prank you will on them, all right? As long as it doesn't do any harm. Understand?" she said gently. Loki instantly brightened at this prospect, and he broke out into a grin.

"Yes, Mother!" he said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Frigga couldn't help but smile as she straightened and continued to stare out the window. Loki ran out of the room enthusiastically.

Frigga turned as Odin came walking into the room mere seconds later. He stood beside her and laid a hand on her back, rubbing it in small circles.

"What did you promise him?" Odin asked, and Frigga smiled.

"Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg all rejected his offer to train with him earlier today, so I promised him that he could play any small prank on Thor and his friends that he liked after dinner in the gardens. As long as it doesn't do any harm," she explained. Odin hummed in response.

"These aren't good habits to foster, Frigga," Odin scolded gently. Frigga turned, resting a hand on Odin's arm that laid on her back and putting the other hand on his shoulder.

"Is bitterness a good habit to foster? He needs a way to let it out. If it's small revenge pranks, then so be it," she said as she walked away from Odin. She trailed her hand along his arm until it left it and she walked over to a nearby couch.

Odin sighed and joined her on the seat next to her. "What are we going to do with him? He's so involved in mischief and lies . . . I don't know if I should be letting him do this. It's not good, not for an Asgardian," he lamented.

Frigga put one hand on Odin's shoulder and the other rested against his robes on his chest. "He's not Asgardian, and you know that. When are you going to tell him?" She knew she touched a sensitive topic when Odin refused her loving touches and stood up abruptly. He returned to staring out the window and she stood up, looking at his back.

They stood like that for a few minutes before Odin turned. "I don't know." His voice suddenly sounded weary and tired—older than his old age.

"The sooner, the better. You know this. The longer you put it off, the worse it will be when he does find out. And what if he finds out without you telling him? He will be furious either way, Odin. Not only furious, but hurt, and heartbroken . . . I can only imagine the pain he'll feel . . ." Frigga trailed off, putting a hand to her heart as she thought of what Loki would feel once he found out about his Jotun parentage.

"Don't you think I know that?" Odin's voice was tinged with anger. He turned suddenly and walked back towards Frigga, then turned and began to pace the room.

"I know he'll feel heartbroken. He'll hate me, and—oh. Oh, no." Odin stopped pacing and turned to face Frigga, a horrified look in his eyes. Concern etched itself in Frigga's features, and she lowered her hand.

"What? What is it?"

"If he continues with mischief like this, he'll do something terrible when he finds out. If it was Thor, it would take a simple troop of guards . . . but with Loki, he'll be able to plot and plan for days. He'll lie, and we won't know what's going on, and ultimately his plan will work, because he's Loki . . ." Odin looked distressed as he stared at Frigga.

She walked up to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "So tell him now," she said quietly. "When he's old enough to know, yet too young for any of his plans to truly be devious and harmful to us or anyone else in the palace."

"But what about his childhood? Frigga, I just don't know!" He turned away and returned to the window in a few quick strides, then turned from the window and walked back to the couch. He sat down in his fever, and then stood up again, but was stopped by a calming hand on his chest.

"Stop," Frigga said firmly but softly, guiding him gently down back to the couch. She lowered herself beside him. "We'll figure this out . . ."

…

Loki crouched in the bushes as he watched Thor, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg crowd the garden walkway. He cringed at their loud voices, which seemed to ruin the garden's natural peacefulness and quiet calm.

"And then he swept his blade under—"

"And Fandral leapt over it—"

"And then I pushed him down and conquered him!"

They were so boisterous and noisy, Loki cast a quick muting spell on himself to quiet their loud voices. Then he smirked and started on his prank.

He held his open palm in the air in front of him and bent it into a claw-like shape. He held his magic in reserve for the reality-bending spell. He had learned it only days ago, and he wished to try it on Thor and his friends.

Loki felt around the air with his magic. He found somewhere to hold reality with, and channeled his magic into that handhold. He twisted his hand in the air and, as if he was holding the sidewalk and the ground was a piece of cloth, the sidewalk bent and warped under the boys' feet. Loki smirked as Thor and company looked down at the ground in fear.

"What's happening?" Sif's voice was tinged with fear as she wobbled unsteadily on her feet. The ground buckled underneath them, and all fell onto their backs.

Loki closed his fist and severed the magic from the spell. The ground returned to normal and Loki watched as Thor and his friends all stood up and stared around at the ground in wonder.

"What just happened?" Fandral asked. Thor looked up from the ground, an irritated look on his young face. He stared into the bushes.

"Loki!"

…

"Why did you do this?" Odin's voice boomed through the throne room. Loki stood at the base of the steps to the throne, eyes cast downward. Frigga stood to the side, forcing concern to override her smirk and quiet laughter. It really was a good prank; she didn't know whether she was on the side of the people whose backs were bruised or the person who mercilessly pulled it off.

"They walked away from me when I asked them if anyone wanted to train with me," Loki replied in a small voice. Odin growled.

"Raise your head," he rumbled. Loki obeyed and stared into the eyes of his father. Odin almost felt pity for Loki, whose young green eyes were wide and scared. He decided to lighten his anger; he was just a boy, after all.

"You asked them, and they said no," Odin replied bitingly. Loki's eyes narrowed.

"They didn't say no. They looked at me with disdain and walked away without a word. Not even a friendly smile," he countered. Frigga's laughter was lost as she watched Loki's eyes water with tears. He'd need comforting later. Frigga didn't think the young boy could stand much more of this. Eventually, he'd snap, and they'd be all the worse off for it.

"Allfather—" Frigga started. Odin growled at her, and she stepped back. Hadn't they discussed this? Frustration rooted itself in Frigga's chest as her eyes narrowed at her husband. Sometimes, she admitted, Odin didn't have the best of judgment.

"You are confined to your rooms for three days," Odin boomed. "You can send servants to retrieve books from the library, and you are allowed visitors."

Frigga inhaled sharply and glanced between Loki and Odin. She thought to protest, but figured it wouldn't do any good and watched as Loki nodded sadly and ran out of the room.

Loki was hurt. He knew Odin didn't treat him fairly compared to Thor, but underneath the injustice of it all, his young face suppressed a smirk.

It was absolutely worth it.


	2. Chapter 2: Of Fire and Silver

_A/N: Okay, so. . . This is a collection of happy stories, right? This_ is _a happy story, only I added a heartbreaking scene at the end set after TDW. Given that there are a few weeks or months between when Thor exposes him, since Thor "went searching through the cosmos for some magic, colorful Infinity Stone things . . . [and] didn't find any." Loki is disguised as Odin, of course, but he takes a trip out . . ._

 _Also, I took a little creative liberty with this story. I read a story in_ Community Movies Thor Jotunn juxtapositions _in which Yggdrasil went through cycles. I simply modified that cycle to fit this story. And I also took some liberty with how magic works in this story. It's only a bit at the end, but anyway._

 _Enjoy the story!_

 ** _Of Fire and Silver_**

"There's a Silver Moon in two days. If we start packing now, we can make it to camp at Lake Spegill. The view will be beautiful from the lake," Frigga said. Thor and Loki looked up at her. Thor's face lit up considerably.

"Yes, Mother!" he said excitedly. He turned and ran off.

Frigga turned her gaze on Loki. The amusement faded from her eyes as she saw her second son's sorrow.

"What's wrong?" she asked tenderly. Loki looked up at her.

"When can we go somewhere? Without Thor?"

Frigga sighed and rested her hands gently on the young boy's shoulders. "I promise the next Silver Moon I'll spend with you. We'll camp out at Lake Spegill and it will be all to ourselves. I swear," she said. Loki nodded and Frigga smiled. "Now off you go to pack. Be ready in an hour!"

Loki smiled quickly and ran out of the room.

…

Thor, Loki, and Frigga rode across the endless plains of their journey to Lake Spegill. It was the afternoon they had left, and the sun was quickly sinking below the horizon.

Finally, Frigga turned her horse around to face the two young boys and they slowed on either side of her. Frigga hopped down from her saddle and helped Thor and Loki down.

"We'll camp here tonight. By tomorrow night, we'll almost be there. Then, we can camp out at the lake during the peak of the Silver Moon and we can begin our trip home the next day," Frigga explained as she set up camp. She popped a tent up and then proceeded to help Thor with his, while Loki figured it out on his own.

Loki sat in his tent and pulled out one of the books he packed. After setting up his blankets, he crawled underneath them and opened the book on Lake Spegill.

He heard the crackle of a fire from outside. Thor and Frigga were probably sitting around it. Loki had no wish to socialize with his brother tonight, and though he felt a pang of regret, he would sacrifice spending time with his mother if that meant not having to deal with his brother. Why couldn't he ever have any special trips with just him and Frigga? Thor teased Loki on any trips they went on, and ruined the entire thing. Why would this be any different?

Loki glanced up from his book and his eye caught a gleam of metal in his bag. Curious, he threw back the blankets and set the book down beside him. He crawled over to his bag and opened it with two fingers, and peered inside.

He spotted the little earring inside of it and pulled it out. It was Frigga's earring, a small black stud with white speckles scattered across the faceted black stone. He held it carefully, his fingers on either side of the silver rim. It sparkled in the magical lantern light Loki had summoned, and he set it down on the tent floor. He would give it back to her in the morning; he didn't feel like dealing with Thor. How did it even get in his bag?

He picked his book up again and set the earring back in his bag. He crawled back under his blankets and continued to read.

…

Loki woke to a quiet night. He crawled out of his tent and looked around. Why did he wake at this hour? It wasn't even dawn yet.

He was about to retreat back inside when he heard a twig crack behind his tent. He froze and listened, but no further sound came.

It's just an animal or something, he told himself, but another stick cracked. Loki slowly extracted himself from his tent completely and crouched in front of it. He always kept a dagger in his nightshirt; Thor teased him far too much on trips like these.

This he pulled out, holding it before him as, crouched and tense, he walked over to Frigga's tent. He crawled inside and tapped her shoulder, glancing up at the tent walls occasionally.

A series of twigs cracked rapidly and the shadows on the tent wall moved. Frigga woke suddenly and started to speak, but she saw Loki's too-tense stance and stayed silent. Slowly, she sat up, and Loki only had to share a glance with her to tell her that he thought he heard something.

She pulled a dagger from her own nightshirt and tugged Loki behind her. He crouched in the corner of the tent as she approached the door. She gently lifted the flap and peeked outside.

All was still as she watched, but suddenly Frigga cried out and her arm slashed at a hidden intruder outside. She rolled backwards inside the tent, and Loki moved forward a little, poised to attack.

"No, Loki," she said. "I can do this. I don't want you getting hurt." She then leapt outside and the sound of metal hitting metal rang out before Frigga gasped.

"Thor! What are you doing here?" she asked. Loki immediately crawled forward and exited the tent, standing beside Frigga and facing Thor, who looked mortified.

"I—I wanted to scare Loki, but he came to you, so I thought I'd scare both of you. I didn't know you'd come out and fight me," he explained in a small voice.

Frigga gave an exasperated sigh. "Thor, you know that women are just as much warriors as men on Asgard. This isn't Midgard. Why would I not fight you if I thought there was an intruder?"

Thor looked down ashamedly. Loki suppressed a smirk. Finally, the justice his brother deserved!

"I would say you can't go to Lake Spegill, but it's too late now. I will tell of this to Odin once we get back, and he will decide punishment for you. However, for the rest of the trip, you will behave. Understand?" Frigga's voice was sharp as a blade, but Loki recognized a softer edge to it. Thor was just a kid, after all.

Frigga patted him on the shoulder. "Now, off to bed," she said. Thor nodded and ran back to his tent.

Frigga turned to Loki with a warmth in her gaze that he hadn't seen with Thor.

"You too. Try to get some sleep, all right?"

Loki nodded, and Frigga saw him to his tent. Then, she crouched and went inside her own, and she gave a chuckle as she laid back down on her blankets.

What was she going to do with those two?

…

Thor, Loki, and Frigga sat beneath the setting sun as they watched Lake Spegill. The blaze of the sunset lit the lake aflame, and its surface was as smooth as glass. Loki knew from his studies of Old Norse that _'spegill'_ meant _'mirror,'_ and that's exactly what the lake was. He looked down into the water by the shore, and his reflection held no distortion whatsoever.

"When the Silver Moon reaches its highest peak tonight, the entire lake will be like molten silver. The moon will turn the trees all around us silver, and the grass. It's a beautiful sight. I've only ever seen it twice before—as a child, my parents took me here, and Odin and I went here for our honeymoon," Frigga said. She gazed up at the sky, which was just turning dark blue as the sun vanished below the horizon.

They sat like that for several hours more. The stars appeared, silvery sparks on the midnight black velvet of the sky. The moon rose, its light shining silver. And when the moon got to its peak, Frigga and Loki both felt the magic of the lake as they saw the Silver Moon's effect.

Lake Spegill was, as Frigga had said, like molten silver. Loki could have walked on it, the surface was so smooth. The moon set the lake aflame just as the setting sun had, but it was a different kind of flame. The lake seemed to glow, setting silvery fire to the landscape around it. The trees were shining silver in the moonlight, and the grass blades had silver tips.

Loki stood up. He felt the pull of the lake's magic. It called to him, asking him to join it in its icy, silvery depths.

"Loki!" Frigga caught his arm, still sitting, and tugged him back down on the grass. Loki didn't take his eyes off the lake, and Frigga worried. She felt the pull of the lake as well, but she could ignore it. She had thought Loki could, too . . .

She inhaled sharply. The calling increased, and Frigga felt the pulling in her chest. It was insistent.

 _Come_ , it said. _You're home now, you're safe. Just come . . ._

She shook her head. _No_ , she thought. She glanced down at Loki, who stayed silent, but seemed to tense against her hand on his arm.

The moon rose ever higher, just completing its peak, and Frigga gasped as a silvery substance began to rise up from the lake. Was this . . .? No, it couldn't be. Was it?

Every five thousand years, Yggdrasil was renewed. Each realm had a certain energy source that renewed the realm it was in; for Vanaheim, it was the Cave of Centuries; for Jotunheim, the Frozen Oak.

For Asgard, Lake Spegill.

The silvery substance gathered in a mass above the lake, forming a misty cloud, and the three watched in awe as the cloud shimmered above the lake. Then, as the cloud condensed, as if it was becoming a coiled spring, tense and ready to go, Frigga seized both Loki and Thor's forearms. She barely had time to cast a protection spell and brace her own magic against the force when the cloud exploded.

The cloud exploded as a wave of silvery mist, and it hit Thor, Loki, and Frigga with full force. They were thrown backwards, and Frigga's protection spell dissipated. She let go of her hold on her magic but kept her hold on Thor and Loki as they ended up several feet away from the water.

Loki recovered first after Frigga, and he looked at her. "What was that?"

Frigga glanced at the lake, which now seemed calm. It had lost some of its silvery sheen as the moon descended from its peak, but the pull of its magic was still present. "The Regeneration Cycle. Every five thousand years, each realm on Yggdrasil restores itself using a central point, such as this lake. For Jotunheim, it's the Frozen Oak, and for Vanaheim, it is the Cave of Centuries, and so on. I lost track of when it was and I accidentally brought you two here when it happened," she explained, expecting the boys to just nod and accept it. But Loki gave a huge smile—something he didn't do very often—and laughed, almost giddily. Frigga's mind reeled with confusion. Since when did Loki laugh almost _giddily?_ He was the quieter, more reserved of her two sons.

"Are you kidding? My magic feels like it's—it's endless!" He glanced at Thor, whose eyes darted between the two of them during the entire exchange, and then back at Frigga, who looked perplexed. She recovered quickly, her features smoothing out, and she smiled.

"That's good. Just don't use it to hurt anyone," she said. Her mind went into overdrive. She hadn't seen Loki this happy in . . . years. Was it years? Yes, it was that long. She watched with a small smile on her face as Loki ran into his tent. He came back out with his spell book, which he still needed since he hadn't fully developed his magic yet. Words were still necessary to cast some more complicated spells, until his magic fully developed and he could use just his hands.

Loki sat beneath a tree and pored over his spell book, a smile on his face. He pulled a branch from the tree next to him without taking his eyes off his book, and Frigga watched the branch glow softly multiple times as Loki cast his magic.

Thor, who had remained silent through the entire thing, shrugged. "I'm going to start a fire. It's getting chilly," he said, and walked over to their tents. Frigga nodded. She sat down on the shore of the lake, and gazed up at the stars. They still shone brightly as the lights she made with her magic. The night sky was beautiful, with the silvery moon and shining stars against the velvet of the sky, which was gradually fading to blue.

All was well with Asgard's royalty, as it should be. They quarreled no more, and each was content in their own hearts, especially as the second prince hadn't been in a long time, despite his youth. His magic lit his own heart aflame with spells of happiness he didn't know he cast, while the softly-glowing fire lent its warmth to the crown prince's heart, and the kindhearted mother . . . well, for her it was enough to simply be there-she had been content since they had started out.

All was as it should be.

…

Loki shed his disguise as Odin and sat on the ground in front of a lake. Its surface was smooth, almost as if you could walk on it. It reflected the silver moonlight of the rising moon like a mirror, and Loki's reflection held no distortion whatsoever.

His hand drifted to the dirt next to him. He felt the familiar warmth of Frigga's magic in the empty space. He could almost imagine her sitting beside him, gazing up at the silvery stars on the deep black velvet of the night sky, and then glancing at Loki with a smile. He'd return the smile, of course, and it would be as genuine a smile as he'd ever given since he discovered his true heritage and this whole mess began.

 _I promise the next Silver Moon I'll spend with you._

He sighed and finally let his emotions flood out. Silently, he cried. Tears ran down his face in quiet streams, and the air next to him shimmered into an illusion of Frigga. Loki glanced to the side where she sat, and her head turned. She smiled at him with that loving warmth of hers, and Loki relished it for a moment, then, in a sudden burst of anger, he swiped his hand through the illusion and it vanished in a wave of green magic. He looked out at the lake, slowly turning a magnificent silver as the Silver Moon rose. Then, he glanced around at the trees.

Loki snapped at the tree nearest him and a bolt of green magic lit it aflame. He watched the tree burn for a few seconds, the enchanted red flames licking at the leaves and devouring the top of the tree before his anger died and he flicked his fingers, extinguishing the fire before it could spread any further. He then brought his knees up to himself, finally fully mourning Frigga's death, and wrapped his arms around them. He buried his head in his knees, imagining he was still young and this was Frigga's chest he was burying his head in after Thor and his friends rejected him one way or another. Loki's shoulders shook gently with his silent tears. He'd been holding it back for so long, but he couldn't anymore. It was just too much. He couldn't dismiss Frigga's death like he did most, with barely a pang of regret. She loved him even after he did unforgivable things, and he loved her because of that. She was his only real connection to Asgard, and she was gone. Truly, really gone. No illusions, no tricks, no magic. He was never going to see her again, just as Odin had said.

 _I swear._

 _A/N: Aww, the heartbreaking scene! I seem to enjoy exploring Loki's feelings. He's so complicated, and there can be so many different ways to take the actions and discoveries he made in the MCU. . . it's fun exploring how_ I _take those, how I explain his actions compared with his discoveries, and the Loki shown on-screen, and how_ he _feels. Maybe it's just me. I don't know, but I immensely enjoy writing Loki's memories and feelings from the movies._


	3. Chapter 3: The Healer's Wing Part 1

_A/N: A quick story I just wrote. Happy feelings! And, it's officially December, so-Merry Christmas!_

"Thor!" Loki whined as he inspected the shallow cut that ran the length of his forearm. The enchantment on the sparring blades had faltered, and Thor had given Loki a real cut. It stung mildly, and wasn't bleeding very much, but that would still mean several days in the healer's wing.

And Loki _hated_ the healer's wing. It was so _boring_.

Loki hadn't learned any healing spells yet-that was due for when he was older. Odin and Frigga forced the boys to let their cuts heal naturally. It "wouldn't do to have two sons that didn't care whether they got hurt because they knew it could be healed with magic, because not all cuts could." Frigga had told Loki that when he was older, and knew not to hurt himself recklessly because of the magic healing, then she'd teach him all the healing spells he knew. And, because she knew of Loki's habit to take books from the restricted section in the library, she hid the few healing books there were in her room. Loki knew, because he'd checked the next day, and he couldn't find anything else on healing anywhere.

Loki drew his dagger, ignoring his cut for the moment, and dealt Thor a similar cut along his arm. Thor glanced up at Loki, grinning, and they immediately took part in a brief, two-minute sparring match-with real blades.

Both came out covered in cuts, and some bruises from the hilts of their blades. Both insisted that they'd won, and both groaned as Frigga dragged them to the healer's wing.

"Mother," Loki complained, "do I have to stay here for _four days_?"

Frigga smiled. "Loki," she said in his same tone of voice, "you do really have to stay here for _four days_."

Loki suppressed laughter at her mocking comeback, and flopped down on the bed. Thor had his own bed on the other side of the room, and he sat down on it. He attempted to pout and look angry, but he was still seven in Midgardian years, so it didn't work, and when he glared at Frigga as she walked over, she had to suppress laughter. As it was, she smirked and amusement danced in her brown eyes, which only made Thor more angry, which only made it harder for the queen of Asgard to contain her laughter.

Even Loki smirked as he saw Thor's attempt at being angry, and that lightened his mood a bit. He turned onto his side, facing Frigga and Thor, and met Thor's eyes. "What, you can't sit still for four days?" he taunted.

"No! I am the mighty Thor! I can do anything!" he declared grandly, pounding his small fist on the bed and creating a dent in the blankets. Loki smiled.

"Can you?" he asked, his calm tone infuriating Thor all the more. Frigga's smirk had grown into a huge smile, which she hid as she turned slightly away from the boys, and she was laughing silently. Sometimes, she wasn't sure whether she was the boy's mother, or their sister who was just as young as they were.

"Yes, I CAN, in fact!" Thor stated. It was supposed to be an angry statement, since he was so obviously pouting and was irritated, but Frigga and Loki couldn't take him seriously.

Actually, Loki never could take Thor seriously.

"Prove it. Sit still for four days," Loki said. Thor's face fell. He'd never seen this coming-how _could_ he actually sit still for four days?

Yet, he brightened instantly. "Fine, then I _will_. Just you watch, brother!"

Loki couldn't contain it any longer. He nodded quickly, then rolled over onto his other side, a huge grin breaking out on his face and his shoulders shook gently with silent laughter.

Frigga had enough control to smooth out her features. She turned to Thor. "Well, then I'll see you two later. Dinner will be brought up for you," she said, shattering Thor's dreams, as his shoulders slumped.

"So we can't even leave for _dinner_? Mother!" he whined. Frigga gave him a smile and shared a look with Loki that was filled with laughter as she left, closing the door with a soft click.

Once in the hall, she strode quickly down the halls, a huge smile on her face. She broke out into laughter every so often, which confused the guards she passed, but they too broke out into smiles (and some even chuckled softly) to see the queen of Asgard so happy. Even Odin's lips quirked up into a short smile, when Frigga recounted the entire experience.


	4. Chapter 4: The Healer's Wing Part 2

_A/N: I'm imagining this around Yuletide. Everyone's in the December spirit. Anyway, more happy feelings!_

 _Of Mischief and Agitation_

 _Part 2_

"That's not sitting still," Loki remarked as Thor stood in the center of the room, brandishing a pen as if it was a sword. He made several swipes and slashes with it, but was dissatisfied with his confinement.

Thor turned to Loki, who sat calmly on his bed. Black string was wound in complicated patterns around his fingers, but even Loki was itching to make some mischief around the castle. After this, he promised himself. Two more days, and then he'd prank the guards mercilessly. Maybe he'd even prank Odin. . . it'd get him grounded, but it was always worth it to see Odin made fun of. Pranking his father delighted Loki to no end.

"I can't help it! I'm a warrior of Asgard. I'm not suited to sit around all day and do nothing!" Thor protested. Loki smirked, and his fingers flew in his lap. He didn't look down as he made several complex shapes and patterns with the string.

"What of my challenge? Will you abandon that because you're a 'warrior of Asgard?'" Loki taunted, and Thor shook his head vehemently.

"Never! I will emerge victorious from this-this _battle_!" Thor tried valiantly to make some good out of his predicament, but he tossed the pen against the wall, where it bounced off and landed on the floor with a click. His face grew morose and he sat on his bed. Loki smirked, glancing up at Thor, then returning to his string. He was attempting to learn a new pattern, but it was proving more difficult than the others, yet Loki refused to consult the book. He would learn it on his own-it wasted more time, anyway, than if he consulted the book and, he knew, learned it within ten minutes.

"A battle, hmm?" Loki drawled slowly. "Do you consider this a battle?" he asked as he stood up. He took a few quick steps forward and lashed the string on Thor's arm, making a small red mark that faded quickly.

It worked. Thor looked up, mock-angry, as he picked up the pen from the floor and brandished it at Loki. "This isn't battle, this is _war_!"

Chaos ensued. Thor and Loki made a mess of the room in their war, which included quite a bit of pillow fighting, magic, and lots of yelling from Thor. The healers outside wondered what was going on. One cracked open the door, saw the blur of motion that was Thor and Loki, and closed the door quickly. Best not to interrupt-bad things always happened when they were interrupted in a mood like this. Most of the time, it ended up in yet another person coming out bruised, pranked, or covered in fluff from being whacked with pillows.

Either way, it wasn't good.

Ten minutes later, Thor stood over Loki, pointing the tip of the pen at his throat and declaring his victory. The healers outside heard this, looked to the queen of Asgard, who had just entered the healer's wing, and shook their heads.

The queen just smiled and walked in.

Thor and Loki both glanced to the door as it opened, and both broke out into a smile as Frigga walked in. Loki rolled out from beneath the tip of Thor's pen, bringing his legs up from between Thor's legs, and stood up in one fluid motion.

Frigga surveyed the room. The sheets on either bed had been used as formidable weapons, as well as the pillows, and neither were in their correct places. Thor's mattress had somehow been thrown askew, and fluff covered the floor and the bare mattresses. The chairs and tables served as walls to form small squares in the corner of the room, with yet more pillows stuffed in the small spaces.

"I see you've been busy," Frigga said mildly. One of the chairs burst into bright green, magical flame, and Loki grinned.

"Loki started it!" Thor declared. Frigga turned her gaze to Loki, who nodded unashamedly, the grin growing wider.

Frigga glanced between the two of them-Thor started grinning somewhere in the middle-then she leaned in and whispered to the both of them.

"You better clean this up before your father gets here," she said, a note of playfulness and mischief in her voice. Thor and Loki both looked terrified, their grins vanishing-while another grin only grew on Frigga's face-as they turned and hurried to clean the mess up as fast as possible.

Ten minutes later, they rushed to the center of the room, which was almost perfectly made-the pillow fluff was stuffed under the beds, quite noticeably-and stood proudly as Odin walked in. He surveyed the room just as Frigga had done, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she stood to the side, her eyes darting from Odin's face to Thor and Loki to the room and back, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"What did they do?" Odin asked simply, facing Frigga, whose smile grew ever wider.

All three burst out laughing.


	5. Chapter 5: The Healer's Wing Part 3

_A/N: This story is longer than I'd thought it would be. I'm reading a 150-chapter fanfiction on wholly Loki and Thor brotherly fluff and some angst, so I'm in the spirit, and the healer's wing escapes I mentioned in my other story were the perfect excuse. :D_

"Tho-orrr," Loki sang. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. Thor did likewise, though considerably less gracefully. They faced each other, and Thor perked up slightly at the mischief dancing in Loki's eyes.

It was the afternoon of the second day of their confinement, which had lengthened by two days due to the bruises they both had gotten from their war earlier that day, and both were bored out of their minds. Another war had been ruled out by Odin's stern punishment for destroying the healer's pillows and one of their chairs. Now their room was weaponless. Each boy had one pillow, one sheet, and one blanket. The room had no chairs, tables, or pens, and Loki's books had been taken away.

Neither regretted their actions.

"What?" Thor asked. Loki gave a mischievous smile, which made anyone who knew him wary.

Very wary.

"I'm bored," he said shortly. That was something else that made anyone who knew him very wary.

 _Extremely_ wary.

Thor shifted uncomfortably. What was his little brother planning?

"I can get us out of here," Loki said. Thor's face lit up.

"You can? How? Show me, brother! _Anything_ to escape this drab, dull, uninspiring _boredom_!" Thor got very creative with his words when he disapproved. "Uninspiring" was quite a stretch for him, and Loki raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. He even pronounced it right, which said something for exactly how much he wanted to escape the healer's wing.

"We're close to the door," Loki started, then stopped and smiled, one eyebrow raising, as Thor leaned forward excitedly. "So all we have to do is open the door and _run for our lives_."

Thor nodded. "Now? Let's do it now!"

Loki grinned. "You go first," he said as he stood up. Thor practically ran to the door.

Loki turned the doorknob silently, then let Thor stand in front of him. He held the door open just a crack and waited, watching the healers outside. The grand golden doors out of the healer's wing were tantalizingly close, and Thor was practically vibrating in front of Loki.

"Go!" Loki whispered suddenly. Thor flung open the door and bolted down the hall, surprising a variety of healers.

However, Loki had other plans.

He grinned as he ran to the window and opened it. He was taking a risk-he had only tried the shapeshifting spell once, several days ago-but he really, _really_ wanted to escape.

A raven flew out of the window, soaring above the trees and landing on a patch of grass about a mile out from the palace, in the forest. The raven glowed green and suddenly Loki appeared, crouching on the forest floor, which was slanted with afternoon light. A pleasant warmth pervaded the air, and birds chirped in the trees. The trees seemed to glow green, while the flowers radiated happiness in their bright colors.

Oh, how he'd missed freedom.

Loki glanced up towards the window that he'd escaped from. A healer leaned out, and Loki smirked as he teleported himself closer to the palace. He walked inside, striding confidently through the halls. Many of the guards glanced at him-what was he up to? And-wasn't he supposed to be in the healer's wing?

He heard the thundering of Odin from several corridors away and cast an invisibility spell on himself. He welcomed the return of his magic; Frigga, knowing Loki, enchanted the healer's room to prevent him from casting any spells that would help him escape. Even shapeshifting-he had to shapeshift after he jumped from the window ledge-was affected.

He made it to the library and climbed the bookshelves. There, he slunk along the tops of the shelves like a cat, leaping from shelf to shelf, until he found a certain shadowy corner deep in the massive library. A book rested on the top, and Loki could sense the magic bookmark he'd placed on the book.

Loki leaned against the wall, enjoying the silence-he was deep enough in the library that all other sounds from the palace were too far away to hear-and opened the book, instantly losing himself in the words printed before him.

…

Thor tried to dodge the guards blocking the door, but he was caught up and held captive as they marched him back to his room. He glanced around-wasn't Loki supposed to be running after him?

The door to their room opened, and Thor saw the open window first. It took him a few seconds, but as he sat morosely on the dull white healer's bed, he then figured it out.

 _"Loki!"_

 _A/N: Ehehe. The end to Loki's mischief shall be in the next chapter. Probably Odin's punishment. Then this story will end and you'll all have to wait until my next inspiration to write a story of innocence. :D_


	6. Chapter 6: The Healer's Wing Part 4

_A/N: The mischievous end to The Healer's Wing saga! Loki's favorite place is the library, not only for the books, but for the mischief he can make when Odin sends guards after him. Really, it's far too easy to defeat the guards... :D_

The sunlight was slanting amber across the tops of the shelves and across the floor, providing a pleasant warmth to the library by the time Loki's reading was interrupted. The tranquility was disturbed by the sound of the library doors bursting open with a loud crash and a very familiar, very enraged voice roaring out, making him flinch.

"LOKI!" thundered Odin. Loki closed his book, feeling a small bit of his magic releasing itself into the magical bookmark spell, and set it beside him. He listened as the guards' footsteps started thundering down random library aisles, and the sound of metal clanging rang through the library. It was unlikely they'd be able to find him here if he didn't want to be found—he was the only one who visited the library willingly.

But just waiting around wouldn't be any fun. He had to challenge himself at least.

Loki rolled his eyes at the guards' noise; within the minute he simply listened, he knew there were seven different groups of guards. There was a group of six, two groups of five and three, one pair, and one singular guard. None were relatively close to where he was; they were still thoroughly searching the entrance to the library.

He swung his legs over the edge of the shelf and started climbing slowly down. He'd need to save his energy for when he set the guards on a wild chase after him.

Once his feet touched the ground lightly and with barely a whisper against the golden, elaborate carpet, he started running.

He stopped for a moment after twisting around several tall bookshelves and listened. To his left, there was one group of three, the singular guard, and the pair of guards. In front of him, there was the group of six and two groups of five and three; to the far right, one group of five. He listened. There was a group of three getting closer; he chose them and made his way to the left.

When he could hear the group as if they were in the next aisle, he proceeded carefully. He turned left and waited; they sounded as if they were just to his right now. He darted across the narrow hallway into another aisle and almost collided with the group.

He looked up at their tall, golden, shining forms. They grinned back at him; he gave them a sheepish smile, turned around, and bolted.

Their metal armor clanged loudly behind him, slowing them down considerably. Loki ran straight and turned right; he turned right again directly after the first bookshelf and waited, his head peeking out from around the corner. The guards came out of the other intersection, glanced left and right, saw him, and ran.

They turned down the aisle and slowed to a stop. Loki perched silently on the bookshelf just above their heads, suppressing laughter as their heads darted to look around the aisle like birds.

Finally, one of them looked up. Then they all looked up, and Loki's small figure was spotted. Their faces changed to alarm. Loki grinned and moved sideways along the bookshelves. He jumped down just before the guards as they ran down, following his progress, and felt their fingers brush against his arm as he sprinted down the aisles.

By now, each group was well separated. Loki lost the group of three and decided to challenge himself with a group of five. He chose the nearest one and approached from behind.

He crouched down, stalking like a cat, his footsteps silent on the carpet. The guards stopped walking, and Loki stopped with them, not even breathing as they glanced around. His heart started to pound in his chest, and he forced it to calm down, taking deep breaths silently through his nose. He waited a few seconds after they started walking before he crept silently up on them again. Loki tapped one on the shoulder hard enough that it would be felt through his armor, and the guard instantly whirled around.

His eyes darted around the empty aisle for several seconds before his brown eyes landed on Loki, perched above them and grinning mischievously down. One guard shed his helmet and chest plate hurriedly before he climbed up after Loki. The books rattled and bumped as he ascended clumsily and slowly, making Loki wince when several fell on the floor. The guards' golden greaves brushed against the books and the shelves, making his ascent very slow.

Loki, however, barely brushed the books as he climbed sideways, though he clung onto the shelves in between for dear life. He moved silently, the books he went past not a bit disturbed as he moved farther and farther away from the guard, who grew increasingly despairing as the distance between him and the young prince increased within a matter of minutes.

"Agh!" The guard narrowly avoided being hit in the face by a cascade of books that toppled down on him. His four companions stood below Loki at the end of the aisle. At first, they had watched the guard with admiration and anxiety when he'd first started climbing after the boy, but now their eyes danced with amusement as they saw how futile the attempt had been and how the guard was failing miserably.

Loki climbed sideways, back towards the guard, the four others following below him. He smirked at the guard, who clung onto two shelves with his hands and feet and looked at Loki with terrified, despairing eyes.

Funny how the mighty warriors and protectors of Asgard should be reduced to a shaking (Loki could see the man's arms trembling), terrified (even Thor would be able to see the fear in his brown eyes) mess at an attempt to climb a bookshelf, which was nearly as easy as climbing a ladder, Loki thought.

"Having trouble?" he said. The guard nodded frantically, and Loki raised one of his hands up. At the same time, he was reaching for the fabric of the world, and as he held the guard in one metaphorical hand and his magic in another metaphorical hand, he released a bit of his magic into the fabric of reality. His magic shaped and shifted it at his command, and reality protested by wrinkling itself terribly as the guard was floated down to the ground, defying gravity and physics, but Loki's magic smoothed it over, telling reality that it was all right. The guards couldn't see it, but Loki watched as the fabric of reality he was holding suddenly lay flat. He was the Liesmith, a Silvertongue. Even reality believed his lies, even when he didn't say a word.

All this happened in a matter of seconds, and Loki glanced down at the five guards, who looked up at him with a bit of admiration mixed in to their confused gazes. _Now_ how were they supposed to bring the youngest prince of Asgard to Odin for appropriate punishment?

Loki made a few quick hand movements, and reality believed the lies he spun as he floated each book back in its proper place with the utmost gentleness. Once that was done, he grinned at the guards-he wouldn't let them get away that easy-and suddenly all five found themselves soaked by a deluge of water that came from absolutely nowhere and which failed to touch the carpet, bookshelves, or books, all of which had not one drop of the freezing water on them. Then, he climbed up the bookshelf and over, resuming his tricks with the guards.

Loki grinned as he heard the sound of a single set of footsteps very close to him. He crouched on the top of a bookshelf, watching one guard creep warily through the aisles. He had the right idea; Loki was not to be trusted to play nice against them. Fear was a natural response.

And, he had so much fun not playing nice, especially against Odin.

He cast an invisibility spell upon himself-reality was used to this certain lie by now, and barely a tenth of his magic was expended on this-and climbed down the bookshelf. He landed silently behind the guard and tapped him on the shoulder, hard enough to be felt through the armor. Then, he took a step away, folding the carpet down with his magic to make a distinguishable footprint.

The guard glanced down, and Loki made another footprint. The guard's eyes followed for several more as Loki walked backwards, then he started following them. Loki, knowing the library by heart, knew where he was and had no trouble walking backwards and leading the guard out of the aisle.

He stopped the footprints and ran down the next aisle a bit, then made himself visible. The guard's eyes shot up, and he took a moment to process the young, green-and-black-clad boy in front of him, before he crouched down. Loki smiled. He was the only one who hadn't instantly started running after him.

The guard, unnerved by Loki's mischievous smile, faltered for a moment, before slowly creeping forward. All his senses were on alert-the guard was only a couple years into his training, and he'd heard the other guard's stories of when they were tasked with retrieving one, or two, of Odin's sons-especially Loki. This put him on edge, and Loki could see the guard starting to tremble.

Loki heard stories that retrieving the young princes of Asgard should be put into the guard's training regimen, hard as it was. He felt proud of himself for making himself that hard to catch.

"Just-just come with me," he pleaded, some part of him knowing it wouldn't work, the other panicking.

The panicking part was leading.

Loki tilted his head. No one had ever simply _pleaded_ with him. All the guards knew that didn't work. That was why he had so much fun making them chase him-that was the only way they knew how to catch him, and nine out of ten times it didn't work at all.

"You're the only guard whose ever actually _asked_ me to come with them," Loki said. The guard's eyes changed from wariness to surprise, and he straightened. Loki took a step back, and the guard realized his mistake and dropped back down into a crouching position. The boy was like a wild animal, he thought. Kindness would be the only thing that would tame him.

And maybe some bribery.

"How about this," the guard said. "If you come with me, I'll not tell Odin that I have found you, but I'll bring you to Frigga, which will surely lighten your punishment." Everyone knew of the Queen's forgiveness compared to the King's wrath-especially on his youngest son (every guard who'd been in the throne room during one of Loki's punishments saw the King's injustice towards the youngest prince). "Just come with me and stop torturing the guards who've been searching for you."

The boy studied the guard for a moment in the silence after his words. What guard had ever been nice to him, let alone offered to bring him to Frigga besides Odin? Sure, they smiled at him, and helped him when he asked, maybe even seemed to enjoy him. But Loki had no doubt about the comments they spoke of behind his back, the comments every Asgardian spoke of. His mischief, his magic, his lies, his tricks. It was all different, and no one accepted that.

The guard watched the dark-haired prince as his deep, verdant green eyes studied him, and wondered about the boy. Had a guard ever been nice to him? It seemed like, from their stories, all they did was run around chasing him, rather than simply asking him, or finding another way out. Sure, most of the guards told their stories with a certain measure of fondness in their voices. But there was also a certain measure of dislike, and the guard had never failed to hear the masked dislike of the boy in their voices. Their conversation could turn from the most recent chase after the prince to his deceit and lies in seconds.

Loki's senses, always alert, suddenly tensed, his body along with it. He stood, suddenly completely frozen like a deer in headlights, his ears straining to hear the telltale scuff of a boot, or a breath that was just a bit too deep.

He whirled around and came face to face with a troop of five guards. Hands seized his arms before he could react, and more hands closed his fists together to prevent use of his magic. One guard picked him up easily and began walking out. Loki didn't struggle; he knew he was caught.

Odin glared at him as the guard brought him to the Allfather and set him back on his feet. This guard was older, and he didn't shrink under the king's withering gaze.

Loki suppressed a smirk as he looked up at his father, who turned to the guard who had brought him here. "Take him back to the healing room. Lock the window and tell Frigga of his tricks," he growled, not even addressing Loki. The guard nodded and walked Loki out.

Loki glanced back at the library just in time to see a group of five guards walking up to Odin. All were dripping water (which still never got the carpet wet), and all looked a mix of miserable, angry, and laughing at his tricks, all at the same time.

Loki couldn't help it—he grinned.


	7. Chapter 7: Lullaby (THW Part 5)

_A/N: I originally wrote this chapter because I got inspiration for a poem, but now I see a deeper meaning to it that I never intended. The very last part goes to every teenager out there who is depressed, has anxiety, or does self-harm. I don't, so I wouldn't know, but that's for you all. :)_

"Mother?" Loki asked. Frigga walked towards his bed, her head tilting in question and her brown eyes filled with motherly concern.

"Yes, Loki?" she asked. Loki pulled out a book from thin air. It was small and bound with black leather, which was tattered and even ripped in some places. Elegant gold lettering adorned the front, reading The Shadow Prince. It was a children's book—short and almost every word rhyming with another—but it was Loki's favorite. He'd gotten the special copy for his birthday years ago, and he'd never lost it. It had been read countless times—Loki had memorized certain lines.

"Can you read this to me?" he asked. Frigga smiled and sat on the edge of the healer's bed. Thor glanced over and decided to stop his sulking to climb into the bed next to Loki, and each laid down to listen to Frigga's smooth, gentle voice paint a picture in front of them.

 _There once was a prince_  
 _Who shied away from the light_  
 _While his kin were all Warriors_  
 _His power was more in magic and slight_

 _He had an older brother_  
 _Mother father too_  
 _They were a happy family_  
 _Arguments? They had few._

 _The younger prince wasn't very social_  
 _A mystery to all_  
 _He'd teach his tricks to his brother_  
 _But his brother had not the wherewithal_

 _One day the prince found a book_  
 _Telling of all sorts of dark magic_  
 _He started practicing in secret_  
 _If only because he'd have it._

 _Then the dark magic_  
 _Invaded his mind_  
 _He no longer had_  
 _Reason or rhyme_

 _His family saw this happening_  
 _They were all too late_  
 _Only his mother came to save him_  
 _Try to break through the hate_

 _Just as the prince started to fall_  
 _He heard his sibling call_  
 _"Brother, take my hand_  
 _We can rule over this golden, brilliant land."_

 _The prince smiled sadly_  
 _And shook his head farewell_  
 _His hand slipped from his brother's_  
 _And down, down he fell_

 _Just as the prince started to fall_  
 _He heard his father call_  
 _"Son, you can save yourself from this._

 _Just climb out of that abyss."_

 _The prince replied, "You don't want me."_

 _And shook his head—finally free_  
 _Before he pushed away his father_  
 _And smiled, almost with a maniacal glee_

 _Just as the prince started to fall_  
 _He heard his mother call_  
 _"Why do you do this? It's not meant to be_  
 _I know you hurt, but what about me?_

 _We can still stop this._  
 _Together, you and I!_

 _If you would just come back_  
 _Please, please, if you would only try."_

 _At this the prince's heart broke_  
 _She loved him just the same_  
 _Even after all the things he'd done_  
 _She said his name without any shame_

 _His worries and his cares all came rushing back_

 _No matter how he tried, there was no erasing the past_

 _Yet he reached his hands up to his mother's, and as she began to pull_

 _He pried her fingers away from his and fell, guilt rising up in him in full._

 _She looked on, her heart breaking more_

 _The farther down he fell_

 _The more she lost to live for_

 _What was life? She couldn't tell._

 _The brother went into mourning_

 _Mother and father too_

 _The world seemed to grow more dull_

 _With each time they woke up in the morning_

 _The boy never came back since_

 _Thus is the tale of the Shadow Prince._

Loki was barely awake by then, but he forced himself to stay awake for the last part—his favorite.

 _This story doesn't end happy_

 _Not all stories do_

 _Whether they do or don't, well_

 _It's all up to you._


	8. Chapter 8: Nightmares

_A/N: This was inspired by a writing prompt I found on Pinterest. I think it was from Tumblr. Anyway, enjoy! I might write some sequels to this..._

Thor pulled Loki along by his wrist, bouncing with excitement. Frigga and Odin trailed behind them. Neither felt the same way about what their sons were just about to do.

"Are you sure they're ready for this?" Frigga asked worriedly, glancing from Odin to her two sons.

"They are ready. It is time, Frigga. Don't be so worried," Odin assured her. She wasn't convinced; she wore a skeptical look the whole way to the training ring.

Today was the day that the two princes of Asgard got a taste of war. They were each twelve in Midgardian years, and that was when young royal guards-in-training were to battle a prisoner of war in order to give them their first glimpse at what fighting was really like. There were always plenty of guards all around, ready to intervene if things went wrong. And Thor and Loki, as royal princes of Asgard, were required to undergo the same training as other guards.

Loki wasn't looking forward to it.

Thor couldn't be more excited.

They finally reached the training ring, which was surrounded by armed guards and, off to the side, four more guards stood by two men who knelt on the ground, their hands and wrists cuffed and hateful glares in their eyes.

Loki stood to the side as Thor was handed his weapon—a simple, heavy sword that Thor had been training with for years. Two guards hauled up one of the prisoners and took his cuffs off, then handed him his own sword and held him there so he wouldn't start early.

Frigga looked on worriedly, but Odin pushed down his worries and raised his hand. He paused with his hand in the air, then pushed his hand down and watched as Thor and the prisoner leaped into motion.

Thor finished the prisoner within three minutes, giving him a fatal wound and watching as he died. Thor felt a bit unsettled by the death, but he'd been killing monsters for years. A person wasn't that different—plus, this was his enemy.

Loki was more afraid. He'd hated killing monsters—he'd always been the one to see the humanity in them when Thor and his friends had only seen them as brutes less than themselves. He'd never really taken part in the killing of monsters, though he'd been forced to several times in the centuries he'd been alive.

Now he had to kill a person.

Frigga wasn't worried for Thor—no, Thor looked completely fine as he walked off the hard dirt ring, even giving Loki a smile as he walked unsteadily forward to the edge of the ring. It was Loki she was worried about, whose hands trembled as he held his daggers in front of him and whose entire stance suggested he didn't want to do this.

Loki looked at the man's eyes. The ring wasn't very big—he could see the emotions. The hate, but also the despair. He knew he couldn't escape this—he'd die whether he beat the prince or not. Loki was automatically given the upper hand, and the prisoner had no chance. He was a lamb to the slaughter.

Odin stood behind Loki, and his massive hand pressed against his back and pushed him forward slightly as his other hand sliced the air downwards. Loki advanced forward, his emerald eyes masterfully tracking every small movement the prisoner made.

The prisoner's hands twitched. Loki lunged forward and blocked a strike from his sword, then the battle began.

While the prisoner used typical fighting moves, Loki used his own personal fighting style, which was less like the brute strength the Asgardians used and more like dancing between attacks. The Asgardian fighting style was choppy, consisting of dodges between attacks and then sudden changes in direction in order to attack, mostly relying on strength to make it work. Loki, lacking strength, had developed a more fluid fighting style, where a dodge flowed into the next attack and each move was barely separable from the next in performance.

He danced like this for a couple minutes, wearing out the prisoner while Loki was barely breathing heavy. Loki wasn't allowed to use magic, so he simply dodged, drawing on his magic and converting it into physical energy. They'd never know.

A careless move sent Loki sprawling to the ground. The prisoner was standing over him in a minute; the guards surrounding the training ring started to step forward.

As the prisoner's blade came down towards Loki's chest, he seized the man's wrists and yanked himself upward, twisting sideways and using his upward momentum to push the man downwards, just barely avoiding being brought back down with him. The heat of battle had dismissed Loki's earlier fears, and now he sliced his dagger down. The man rolled over just as Loki's dagger met his heart, and Loki froze.

His eyes. They were so full of fear, and resignment… Loki knew he'd be haunted by them for years to come. All of his fears came back-this was a _person_! He had just killed someone who never had a real chance in the first place. The man had just been fighting on the wrong side… imagine what Loki would feel like when he was the one fighting on the wrong side. He'd feel the same way-terrified, resigned, unfortunate.

Loki was frozen, his hand on the dagger and his emerald eyes never leaving the now-lifeless, stony gray gaze of the prisoner. He felt like, if he tried, he could notice from the corner of his vision that the guards were all leaving save for a few who stayed to dispose of the bodies, of Frigga turning away, of Odin standing by Thor, who started to walk up to Loki.

"Brother?"

Thor's voice managed to break Loki out of his reverie. He slowly pulled the dagger out and grew even more horrified as he saw the blood on it-too much blood. Too much blood, too much blood…

He glanced up at Thor, who could see the horror in his brother's eyes and who rushed forward, suddenly overcome with worry for Loki. He stood beside Loki, who was staring at his hands, which were now bloody from the dagger.

"Give me your hands," Thor said, somehow recognizing how to deal with this and giving his voice a softer tone. Then, it became more firm as he repeated it, demanding, impossible to disobey.

Loki gladly relinquished control of himself, finding it blissful to give his hands over and retreat inside himself, letting Thor tug his physical body over to a small, nearby pond. Loki felt as if he was watching himself, an out-of-body experience, as Thor took his small, slender, pale hands in his massive, tanned, calloused ones and dipped them in the icy water, rinsing the blood out. Even rinsing the blood out seemed like a righteous pain, a deserving punishment for what he'd done. He couldn't stop shaking. The guards made it look so easy. Why couldn't he stop shaking?

"I didn't mean-" he began, but cut himself off. He had meant to. It just hadn't sunk in what killing someone actually meant. "There's so much blood," he whispered brokenly, his voice cracking at the end.

"It was self-defense," Thor replied, somehow knowing what to say. "You were only protecting yourself and you were magnificent, brother," he said softly.

The reverence in Thor's tone gave Loki pause. When was Thor ever proud of him? He glanced up at Thor, who, after a moment, glanced down at Loki, pausing from rinsing the blood out, and gave Loki a small smile.

Loki looked back down at his hands, the moment broken but a small glow alighting within his heart, and let Thor finish washing the blood out.

…

Frigga watched as Thor gently led Loki away from the ring. She would have stepped in, but she figured that Thor had this under control. It seemed like it, anyway, as, two minutes later, he put one arm around Loki's shoulders-which were still shaking, though considerably less now-and walked with him slowly, away from the people and into one of the palace's side entrances.

She smiled sadly, then, remembering the reason why they had to do this in the first place, she turned to Odin, who was several feet away, talking to a pair of guards. The guards nodded sharply and walked away, and Frigga strode over, her steps quick and angry.

"I told you they weren't ready!" she scolded Odin, who glanced down at her. He started walking at a brisk pace.

"They were. Both fulfilled their task, didn't they? They seemed okay to me," Odin replied. Anger coursed through Frigga's veins.

"By 'they,' you mean Thor, don't you? And yes, they fulfilled it, but how did it affect them? Nevermind Thor-he was okay with it, I could see that much-but did you see Loki? Do you _ever_ see Loki? Odin, just because-" she lowered her voice- "he's Jotun and the youngest prince doesn't mean you have to ignore him!"

Odin turned. "I don't ignore him, Frigga! He is just as much my son as Thor is, but he needs to learn! He's not like the rest of us-and don't say it's because he's not," Odin said as Frigga's mouth opened in protest, "because that's not all. He was raised an Asgardian, he should act like one! I must help him with that, or what hope does he have here? Loki will not survive in Asgard if he continues the way he has been-he needs to start acting like an Asgardian or I will make him act like one!"

Odin turned back and started walking again, leaving Frigga standing there. She watched Odin enter the palace and one tear ran down her face. How could Odin do that to Loki? Just… _dismiss_ him like that?

The anger returned and her tears dried. She whirled around on her heel, her soft blue dress swirling angrily around her as she strode to a different entrance in the palace, forcing herself to quiet her thoughts and putting on a mask of indifference as she walked through the palace, her steps quick and angry.

…

Loki snuck out of his room as soon as Thor left him there, making his way towards the library. It was afternoon, and the light shone amber through the palace as Loki put on an invisibility spell and slipped past the guards.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, loving the smell of old books. The library had a pleasant warmth to it and everything was cast in a golden glow from the late afternoon sunlight. Now _this_ was bliss.

With the memories from only hours earlier still haunting him, he went deep into the library, climbing a bookshelf and hiding somewhere he knew no one would ever find him-not even Frigga-and pulling out his favorite book as a teenager-overall, it was second to his favorite childhood book, _The Shadow Prince_. It was a time-worn copy, bound in black leather and with elegant silver lettering on the front. He slipped the silver leather bookmark out from the page he had left off on, ignoring his previous reading, and opened the book to the first page, letting a small smile grace his lips as he saw the title printed in fluid black lettering on the page.

Then, he turned the pages past the dedications and started the book, letting the memories from earlier today and all his thoughts flee his mind as he started the book, losing himself in the words printed in bold black on the pages before him.

…

"Where's Loki?" Thor asked Frigga, who glanced down at him, instantly worried. She had thought that he was with Thor, but that wasn't the case, as she knew now.

"He was with you, right?" Frigga said. Thor shook his head. "What did you do after you brought him inside?"

Thor shrugged. "I took him to his room and let him stay there, but then I went to ask him if he wanted to play with the Warriors Three, Sif, and I, but he wasn't there. The guards at the library said they hadn't seen him, either."

Worry and fear shot through Frigga's heart. She started walking faster.

"I wouldn't trust what they say," she said.

…

Loki paused in his reading, listening as he heard a distant thud of the library doors opening. He heard footsteps pounding as guards began to scatter throughout the library shelves, and Odin's voice booming throughout the library, a note of worry laced into it.

"LOKI!"

Loki didn't torment the guards as he usually did. Instead, he shut the book and listened as the guards pounded through the library aisles. They wouldn't find him. He'd found this spot years ago and hadn't told anyone, plus, it was buried deep within the massive library.

Suddenly, he heard Frigga's voice, much closer. She was only a few aisles away and was calling out softly. The library was so massive that the guard's thundering footsteps were only distant thuds.

"Loki?" Frigga called. Loki bowed his head. He just couldn't stop thinking about the blood on that dagger…

"Loki, I know you're there," Frigga called again. Loki resigned and stashed the book away in one of his secret pockets, then climbed down the bookshelf. He turned around several corners before his head poked around one and saw Frigga standing there, looking up and facing away from him.

She turned and her face softened as she saw Loki standing there. He came around the corner and stood there. She walked up and pulled him into a close embrace, humming a soft lullaby in his ear. Loki relaxed into her warmth, the memories fading away with every musical note she hummed.

"Oh, Loki. I'm so sorry," she whispered. He buried his head in her chest and let silent tears roll down his face.

 _Too much blood. Too much blood, too much blood, too much blood…_

His shoulders started shaking and Frigga backed up, gently tugging Loki along until her back hit a bookshelf. She sank down to a sitting position, leaning against the bookshelf and letting Loki curl up in her lap, crying softly, silently into her chest. She rested her head gently on his shoulder and hummed quietly in his ear an old lullaby.

Eventually, Frigga felt his breathing gradually get deeper, until she shifted slightly to see his face and his eyes were closed, the corners of his mouth quirked up a bit, his smooth, pale face angelic and peaceful in his sleep. She leaned back, placing a hand on his raven hair and one on his back and rubbing small circles, then watching the bookshelf across from her, smiling softly as her son slept peacefully in her lap.

An hour later, one of Odin's guards found both of them asleep. Neither were disturbed, but were brought pillows and blankets instead. Frigga shifted and murmured softly as they placed a pillow behind her head and a silken green blanket was draped over them both, but she quickly fell back asleep. Two guards were at either end of the aisle, guarding them, and given instructions to prevent anything from disturbing them, at all costs. Odin dealt with business on his own, his mind at peace and content.

That was the first night Loki didn't have nightmares.


	9. Chapter 9: The Bilgesnipe

_A/N: Someone asked for Loki/Odin interaction, so I included a bit in this, but I plan on adding more later on. I hope that the fluff I write makes you smile as much as I do. All brotherly fluff, if it's good, makes me grin. They're just so cute! Enjoy! :D_

Loki rolled his eyes at Thor, who was dressed in what he thought was full armor and wielded the "sharpest sword in all of Asgard," when really, he wore a chestplate and helmet and held one of the dull training swords-one of the _dullest_ training swords, Loki noted.

"Thor, you really shouldn't be doing this. You know bilgesnipe are dangerous and at least triple your size," he said.

Thor's shoulders slumped. "Loki! Help us, please? The Warriors Three, Sif, and I all want to hunt down a bilgesnipe! We never have before! And we want you to come along! Come on, it'll be fun!" he pleaded.

Loki sighed. "I will not come, but if you insist, I will improve your chances of actually accomplishing this," he said. _Improve them greatly_ , he thought to himself, noticing more than one small dent in the armor Thor wore. He stood up, ignoring how Thor puffed his chest out at getting the approval-and help-of Loki, who they all knew was the most difficult person in Asgard to persuade (though everyone knew he himself could persuade them with a single well-worded sentence)-and followed him to the armory.

Two hours later, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and Thor all wore proper armor and wielded the proper swords. Sif had already known what to wear-despite her and Loki's mutual dislike for each other, Loki had to admit that she was smarter than the boys, and that earned her a bit of respect from the young God of Mischief.

Sif looked up as she thrust her sword into the tenth training dummy. "Are you done yet? I've been ready for hours!" she called. Loki came out of the armory first.

"They're finally done. They seriously needed help," he said. She ignored him for the most part, except for the small, amused smile that she flashed him before turning to the boys, which had come out and were boasting about how they'd defeat the bilgesnipe.

"I'll stab it right through the heart! We'll feast for days!" Volstagg boomed.

"Oh, please, Volstagg! You eat so much, you're not fast enough to stab it through the heart before it gets you!" Sif retorted. She easily melted into the group as they walked away, leaving Loki behind on the dust of the training ring.

He picked up Sif's sword and put it away, forcing himself not to stare after the camaraderie that they shared. He'd get revenge, and for once, it'd be lawful revenge. No punishment for him.

…

Loki walked up to Odin, who sat at his study, poring over trade agreements with various realms. He sat in one of the chairs-unlike Frigga, he wouldn't dare sit on Odin's lap.

He leaned over and attempted to read upside-down. He'd always taken an interest in economics, and was much more fluent in it than Thor. The first word he saw was "Vanaheim," which instantly worried him. The Vanir had been stubborn about crop prices for weeks now, and if Asgard didn't get their crops, they'd go hungry, but if it was too high, then there would not be enough money for next time if the prices continued that way.

"Trouble with the Vanir?" Loki asked. Odin finally glanced up and acknowledged Loki, nodding grimly.

"They're increasing the prices. They won't agree on the price we've been using for centuries, saying that it's "barbaric" and "outrageous." They say that they need more money to rebuild their civilization after the war they had with the Frost Giants," he replied, his voice hiding a faint note of irritation in it.

"Is there no way to compromise?" Loki asked.

Odin shook his head slowly. "No. They are being hotheaded fools!"

He calmed his anger down quickly. "What about raising our own prices? Then we can make more money, which will be sufficient for the Vanir's raised prices," Loki suggested.

"If you want to strain relations with the other realms more than they already are, then go ahead. That would most likely lead to all-out war between realms, which could be disastrous for everyone involved," Odin countered.

As much as Loki liked to discuss economics with Odin-someone who was as intelligent as himself (he thought he could feel himself getting stupider every time he was around Thor and friends)-he had other business with the Allfather. He changed the subject suddenly, getting straight to the point. There was a book in the library he had suddenly remembered and wished to read it as soon as possible.

"Father, Thor is going to do something stupid-again. Though, this time, it's more of a dangerous stupid. I worry for him, Father," Loki began. He didn't actually worry as much as he implied in his tone, but it was more likely that Thor would get a fair punishment if he made it out to be worse than it was.

"What is he doing this time?" Odin asked, almost boredly, as his finger traced lines on a sheet of parchment and his other hand wrote something down.

"The Warriors Three, Sif, and Thor are going to hunt a bilgesnipe," Loki said quickly, bracing himself for the resulting roar of Odin.

The Allfather suddenly stood up, irritation radiating through the air. "I really do not have time for this," he declared, then, "GUARDS!"

Guards rushed into the room. Odin dispatched them quickly with some short orders and Loki slipped out with them. The Allfather took a few minutes to notice his son was even gone, but by then he was fully immersed in the Vanir trade relations and ignored the feelings of guilt and the voice in his head that reminded him he meant to spend time with Loki sometime.

...

Loki watched as Thor, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and Sif all walked through the throne room and stood before Odin.

"You wished to speak with us?" Thor asked tentatively.

"Yes. I hear you went hunting a bilgesnipe-that _my_ guards were required to rescue you from," Odin growled. All five shrunk down, remembering the wounds that had been inflicted by the bilgesnipe and the wounds they'd inflicted on the bilgesnipe, before it had finally decided to chase them all down. That was when Odin's guards had finally came and stepped in, rescuing the boys from the bilgesnipe's dangerous stampede.

"Yes, Allfather. We apologize," Thor said. However, that didn't work. They had gone a step too far this time.

"You disobeyed my orders that were there for your own protection. You could have been seriously hurt. After the time you spend in the healer's wing, you will be confined to your rooms for a week. Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, your parents will be notified and they will be able to give punishment as they see fit," Odin rumbled. Sif nodded sharply, while the boys seemed to wither under the Allfather's piercing gaze. Loki smirked as they were dismissed.

He would be visiting Thor in the healer's wing, and, oh, the fun he'd have.


	10. Chapter 10: Safe

_A/N: A short series of, well, shorts. They're little fluff situations after Loki's fall that I couldn't resist writing because I thought of when Loki is described as like a cat and... it all went downhill from there. The result: these little adorable, fluffy, warm-and-fuzzy story situations! One is waking up and another is falling asleep. Enjoy!_

Thor sat up in bed. Loki was sound asleep beside him, buried under mountains of plush blankets in the rich red and shimmering gold hues of Thor's chamber. The fallen prince had had a nightmare and Thor had allowed him in his chambers. He had seen the genuine pain in his brother's eyes, the icy mask he wore falling to reveal the lost, broken, tortured soul he really was. His green eyes had held so much pain and were still haunted from his dreams and, as he had looked at Thor, pleading with a dying, cracking voice, Thor couldn't help but sneak him away from his cell in the dungeons of Asgard and up to his room.

It almost felt like old times when they were younger and Thor would wake up to find Loki curled up like a cat beside him, breathing softly and sound asleep, his face peaceful in his rest, except that Loki's ankle was chained to the bedpost now and the cuffs were enchanted with the most powerful of magic. As much as Thor would like to trust Loki, there was always that shadow of a doubt…

Loki's breathing hitched beside him and grew into something more irregular. Thor watched as his eyes slowly opened, the green clouded with sleep. He enjoyed the look-for once, Loki's face wasn't guarded or haunted, it was just… free. As if all his troubles and pain had melted away like water in a river, his face looked young again. Thor had noticed how Loki's face had aged itself during the years, despite Aesir living for thousands of years and their body's aging cycles considerably slower than that of humans.

Loki hadn't noticed Thor; his eyes were still half-closed. He closed them completely and turned onto his side, away from Thor. His arms went above his head, towards the bedposts behind Thor, and his feet the other direction.

Loki stretched like a cat, a graceful lengthening of the body. His toes pointed ballerina-like towards the door; the lean muscles in his arms corded as his hands went towards the wall. His spine curved elegantly inwards, while his head gradually leaned backwards until his closed eyes were facing the headboard of the bed. Thor heard a few bones crack as Loki relaxed, once more curling into a ball, not even acknowledging Thor as he threw the blankets over himself and made a little noise of pleasure before he went still. Thor heard his breathing gradually get deeper, until the fallen prince was fast asleep again, his entire body compacted to a small ball the length of Thor's chest and his head resting on one plush gold pillow. His raven hair fanned out around his head and, as Thor quietly leaned over, he saw the peaceful, angelic look on Loki's face. His brother's features were smoothed out completely, looking as young as he really was, something Thor hadn't seen for years.

Thor smiled. He'd have to talk Frigga into helping him hide Loki in his room for today.

...

Thor laid under the covers. He could feel himself slowly sinking into sleep, darkness quietly creeping up on his mind, fatigue in his limbs and a pleasant warmth engulfing his entire body, but before he could fall asleep, he heard a quiet click as the door opened. He shifted slightly and saw a tall, lean figure in the door frame.

Loki walked up to Thor on silent feet, crawling under the covers at a silent nod from the god of thunder. His trial was tomorrow and the fallen prince was obviously stressed; Thor wondered what it had taken to get here from his place in his room, which had become his prison-it must've been a bad nightmare, because the fallen prince's bedroom was guarded like a fortress and was surely difficult to escape from. He tried not to wonder or worry, though, as Loki's light form took space under the covers, his feather-light touch barely shifting the blankets, and Thor felt the darkness creep up on him again.

Thor closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he felt a small bit of surprise as he felt something nudge his chest. He opened his eyes slowly, wishing desperately to get to sleep, and saw Loki's pale skin just beneath his chin, his raven hair fanned out against his chest, and his eyes already closed. His breathing was deepening quickly; Thor felt how Loki's muscles were relaxing against him, one by one, the tension leaving him as his brother's golden, shining warmth seeped into him, coaxing his troubles and pain away with a soothing, pleasant touch.

Thor fell asleep then, with a small smile on his face and Loki's form curled up into a ball like a cat next to him.


	11. Chapter 11: Framed Part 1

_A/N: A mischievous chapter... it should lead to three more chapters: one with Odin and Loki really interacting, one of "that one day years ago...," and what Loki actually plans to do to Thor in his poetic justice. Fun things. Enjoy! :)_

Loki sat on his bed with his book open, but he wasn't reading it. He was contemplating whether he wanted to read, trick someone-Thor was at the top of that list; it was a long story-visit Frigga, or visit Odin. He would let his mind focus in on one of those things and then relax, examining whatever emotion first came up. After several minutes of this, it seemed like he wanted to trick someone. He smiled and closed his book, his senses suddenly alert like a hunted animal and his mind racing through scenarios. Magic sparked at his fingertips; a few weeks ago, he'd learned some new spells from Frigga and hadn't found the right situation to use them in. Loki decided that he was feeling poetic in his slightly skewed yet (mostly) harmless justice system, and so he went over what had happened, trying to decide what would be the most poetic of justices. An eye for an eye, the mortals said. He'd read that in a book somewhere during his Midgardian studies, which he had a mild dislike for.

 _Loki made his way to his rooms, clutching a healing book in his hands. After that incident in the healer's wing where he had jumped out the window and then tormented the guards in the library, he had decided that he'd try harder not to spend time in there again._

 _For Loki, that meant stealing a healer's book and attempting to learn the spells on his own._

 _The consequences could be disastrous, of course, but he had taken as many precautions as Frigga had taught him. He walked into his room and allowed himself entry to his little protective bubble. This was supposed to prevent any magic from escaping and damaging the rest of the room. The only thing in harm's way would be his bed, which, if anything happened, could be easily dismissed with the lie of practicing an explosive spell rather than a healer's spell._

 _He sat criss-cross on his bed and flicked his fingers, setting a spell on the door that functioned as an alarm. If anyone came within five feet of his door for longer than five seconds, that would send an alert to Loki and would give him time to put up an illusion. If it was Frigga, he'd have a considerably less chance of pulling it off-she hadn't taught him very many illusions, after that one day years ago…_

 _Anyway, though the illusion would probably not work on Frigga, it would most likely work on people such as Thor and Odin. Odin's magic, though it was vast, was highly untrained. He did not understand the fine points of magic-his skills were more in war, and the typical brute strength of the Asgardian fighting style._

 _Hours later, Loki felt a sudden pain in his mind, stabbing sharply and then pulling away, leaving a fading sting and a surprised gasp from him. He shut the book and set it beside him-with the cover turned away-and picked up his other book. He waved a hand and set an illusion of his room in place just as the door opened. He severed the magic supply of whatever spell he had been trying to practice and covered up the small cut on his hand._

 _He glanced up, his eyes not giving away any emotion, and watched Thor walk into the room. Loki was well aware of the illusion he had set in place even without having been the one to do it, for he had well trained himself in the delicacies of magic; his magic senses were finer than a needle's point. He might not have very many skills with actual spells, but he could enable and disable illusions just fine, as well as sense and identify the spells used around him with hardly any trouble. He was more interested in defense than offense. Odin was the opposite. When Odin did oblige and fight Loki with his magic, their battles were very interesting. It was a rare occasion, but fun nonetheless._

 _Thor walked around to the side of the bed. He pointed at the book beside Loki, but didn't pick it up._

" _What's that book? I've never seen that before. Not that I'm interested," he added hurriedly, "but it looks very elaborate, brother."_

 _The healer's book_ was _very elaborate. It was pure white leather with gold trim which swirled into different designs at the corners, and was bound with a gold strap that latched the book closed on the front._

 _Careful to turn the spine away from Thor, Loki quickly crafted an illusion on the book just as he handed it to his brother. Now, the book's title was_ Alfheim: Realm of the Light Elves, A Complete Study and History.

 _Thor fingered the gold lettering. A puzzled expression crossed his face. "This looks and feels like a healer's book. Brother, did you steal one of their books?"_

 _Loki scoffed and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "How would you know if it was a healer's book, brother?" He plucked the book from Thor's hands and replaced it on his shelf, then turned back to Thor. "It's not like you ever read books anyway."_

 _Thor smiled. "Why would I? The fine arts are the arts of swordplay and war, brother! You don't study them half as much as you should, just as I don't study books and learning half as much as Mother says I should. But who cares? No big deal. Besides, being a scholar wouldn't help me become the greatest warrior in Asgard!"_

 _Loki made a noise. Thor was acting like he was seven in Midgardian years, when they were well into their teenage years. Loki was fourteen and Thor sixteen, both in Midgardian years, and had grown past fantasies such as that._

 _At least, that's what he had thought._

" _Why did you come here, brother? What crazy scheme are you and your friends planning now?" Loki sat on the bed and Thor joined him. A puzzled look flashed across Thor's face, but was quickly hidden as Loki glanced up at him. Something was wrong, Thor knew. The bed didn't feel right; it felt fake. He'd fallen for enough of Loki's illusions over the years to be able to tell at least a few signs of them._

" _We're not planning any scheme today, brother. I simply came to visit you," Thor replied. Loki narrowed his eyes. Thor never came to simply_ visit _him. Usually, he was playing a prank that eventually failed, or-_

" _Where are they?" Loki asked. His hand drifted to his pillow, where there was a dagger hidden beneath it. The servants had long since grown used to it; they always replaced the dagger when they changed his sheets. It was a mutual understanding that he would not play pranks on the servants who cleaned his room, and they would not tell Odin of the many lies he told, including the fact that he wasn't allowed to have weapons beneath his pillow._

" _Where are who? Loki, I'm not-"_

" _Yes you are," Loki said. He pulled the dagger out. "I've been through too many of these training drills to believe that you're simply_ visiting _me. Actually, these are getting quite annoying. Honestly, did you really think that Sif could hide in my wardrobe?"_

 _He stepped to the side just as his wardrobe flung open and Sif stepped out almost as if she was drunk, the irritation radiating off of her like heat from a flame. She glared at Thor. "You said you'd be there in five minutes, Thor, not_ five hours _! I can't feel my legs, you witless_ oaf!"

 _Thor looked alarmed. Sif's wrath was never something to be taken lightly. Loki would have laughed if it wasn't for the nagging worry in his mind. If Sif had been there for five hours, that meant that she would've heard him practicing healing magic and not reading like he had made Thor believe. He glanced at her; she made eye contact. They held it for a long moment, Loki with the barest hint of pleading and question in his emerald eyes and a strong battle of emotions in Sif's dark ones. Finally, she gave a small, imperceptible nod and Loki relaxed a fraction of an inch, though he knew he wasn't completely safe yet. Sif hated him; he could not guarantee that she wouldn't tell Odin of his lies._

 _Loki turned back to Thor, his dagger still poised in his hand. Fandral stormed in then, followed by Volstagg and Hogun, expecting to find a battlefield, but slowed at the sight of them just standing around._

" _What happened?" Fandral asked. "I was looking forward to the kidnapping!" He put on a disappointed face and lowered his sword._

 _Loki smirked. "Whoever said the drill was over?" He lunged forward and nicked his blade on Fandral's side. It would only leave a small cut, barely the size of his finger, but Fandral still acted as if he had given him a deep gash, clutching his side and groaning, falling over dramatically and crying out at the "unbearable pain." Volstagg grinned and rushed over to Fandral, acting as if he was tending to the severely wounded. Hogun, Thor, and Sif all surrounded Loki, fighting smiles as they tried to play the part of the mysterious kidnapper, with Fandral's dramatic groaning in the background._

" _Surrender, or you will face a most unpleasant consequence," Thor said, his voice quivering in barely suppressed laughter as he delivered the over-the-top lines. Loki smirked, both in laughter at the dramatic show they were putting on and the arrogance of the God of Mischief, who could easily take out a few lowlife minions of some villain or other._

 _His hand flashed out and caught Thor's sword on his own, while his other hand drew a dagger from his clothes and blocked Sif's sword. He danced with the three of them for a while, until he was backed into a corner and had five gleaming sword tips pointed at his chest._

 _Fandral's sword tip flicked out with surprising strength and disarmed Loki of one dagger; the other was quickly hidden behind his back before Sif's sword tip could relieve him of that, too. He smirked, now fully in the drama, feeling the confidence he'd feel if he was really outnumbered by people who wanted only to kidnap him. His mind raced, though a small part of it knew that it wasn't real, he enjoyed believing it was and trying to figure out a way to beat them. The game was that if he reached the hallway, he had won, but if they could hold him so he admitted he could not think of a way to escape, then they'd won._

 _He was being kidnapped, so they wanted him alive. If that was so, then they were not allowed to hurt him to kill him, so their movements would be slightly held back. They would not be fighting to kill, but he would-theoretically-because he did not care who they were. He only needed one of them to get information from; the rest did not matter._

 _He could try to slide underneath them and then run, but there were five of them and one of him. It was more likely that he'd be caught. He could always talk his way out of it; they couldn't kill him, after all, but it was more likely that they'd ignore him and end up gagging him than actually listening._

 _A second later, he flicked his dagger out and it struck the tip of Fandral's blade, causing it to quiver slightly at the touch. Fandral glanced down in momentary surprise and confusion, before Loki's hands were on his chest and he was pushed backwards. Loki slipped between the wall and Fandral and began running towards the doors to his room. He reached it in minutes and triumphantly pushed the doors open, taking a step out into the hallway and turning back to smirk at Thor and his friends, who slowed in reluctant defeat. Thor put his hands up in surrender and took a step forward._

" _All right, you win-this time," Thor said, with a grin on his face. Loki walked back inside and closed the doors behind him._

" _Well then," Loki said, "does that mean I can get back to my reading? I'm sure these drills are fun for you all, but they're not for me. I don't take enjoyment in being ambushed by my brother and his friends, and neither" -he glared pointedly at Sif- "by being spied on for five hours."_

 _Thor sighed. "Loki, why don't you ever join us for activities? This is far more fun than the books you read all the time. Don't you agree?"_

 _Loki rolled his eyes. "No, in fact, I do not agree. I thought you would've figured this out by now, but then again, I always overestimate your intellectual abilities. Clearly, you don't understand that I want to read and you five should be leaving," he replied bitingly. He really wasn't in the mood for this; his illusion wouldn't last much longer, either._

 _Sif rolled her eyes and stepped forward, brushing past Thor. "Come on. He's obviously not in the mood; he can miss out on the fun things we have planned." She glanced back at Loki, a mischievous glint in her eye. "The_ mischievous _things we have planned."_

 _Loki ignored her-or tried to, at least. When they left, he sat on his bed, letting the illusion drop and considering his options. He could turn himself invisible and follow them, because Sif did know how to make something sound enticing to him. Mischief was tempting, but for some reason, he wasn't in the mood for it. He sat back down on his bed and opened the healing book he'd gotten from the shelf again, only to receive another short jab into his mind. The illusion was brought up again and the book was closed; he stood by the bookshelf, putting the book away, as if he was just getting up to retrieve a new book._

 _Odin walked in with Thor following close behind. Sif came in last, a smug look on her face. Loki's shoulders dropped slightly. It would be hard to talk his way out of this one._

" _I've received news you stole a healer's book, and that you've been practicing healing magic," Odin said calmly. His eyes bored into Loki's. Loki's mind raced, going through multitudes of scenarios, all slightly different based on what he said._

" _No, Father, I didn't. Why would Thor tell you that? You said I can't study healing magic until I'm at least three centuries older," Loki replied, making his voice and expression as innocent as possible, though his mind was frenzied. Part of it ran through situations, while the other part tested the strength of his illusion, and a third part probed Odin for any traces of magic that would allow him to see through Loki's lies._

 _Thor suddenly ran to the bookshelf, where he grabbed the white healer's book despite the title on the spine. "Father, this is the book! I know it is! Loki's put an illusion on it. Sif told me!"_

 _Odin examined the book while Loki seethed, glaring at Thor, who only gave a triumphant, gloating smile. Sif stepped forward and proceeded to recount the whole tale-Loki was lucky he hadn't actually set the wardrobe on fire, as he was planning to do in one of his moments of frustration-and Loki was confined to his room for four days and the healer's books placed under better guard._

 _Oh, how he was planning his revenge._

As Loki sat on his bed, a slow smile came to his face. He knew just the thing…


	12. Chapter 12: Framed Part 2

_A/N: Okay, so pietoraven, I said I'd write a story with Odin and Loki interaction. It hasn't come yet. It will, but it might take a while. I've had inspiration for other kinds of stories recently. But it will come eventually. For now, have this story and the others I'm uploading tonight. :)_

Loki slipped through the darkened hallways of the palace. His knees were bent slightly and every step was taken carefully so as to avoid making noise. He wore no shoes and held a dagger in his hand, poised to strike anyone who jumped on him.

A smile graced his lips as he made his way towards Thor's room. He held one of the more elaborate swords in his hand, one that Thor wasn't allowed to use yet. His mind ran through how to perform the various spells he was planning on casting tonight, as well as the guard shifts he'd memorized and which ones applied, and finally the path he'd take around the castle during his venture. Unfortunately, Frigga had disabled a bit of his magic as punishment, which meant he couldn't do many spells that helped him with mischief, such as invisibility, silence, and short-distance teleportation, so he had to make do with the old-fashioned ways of sneaking around.

Which he was perfectly good at.

Loki slipped around a corner and spotted the wide golden double doors of Thor's bedroom. His smile changed into a smirk as he made it past the guards guarding the hallway and hugged the wall as he walked towards Thor's room.

Finally he reached the doors and, with a slight creak, he pushed it open a crack and slid through, his slim body making it easier to slide in. He pushed the door closed after him and turned around, looking around Thor's sitting room. It was furnished in vibrant red and gold, with hints of silver hidden all around. One wall held his armor, put proudly on display, as well as some of his swords that he liked to train with. Now that they were older, they were given personal training swords and didn't have to use the generic swords that younger ones were provided with.

Loki, upon staring at the wall of armor and swords, got an even better idea than he had had before. He would get Thor in trouble for multiple offenses, which was equivalent to what Loki had gotten in trouble for.

Loki walked silently over to the wall and slowly, agonizingly slowly, pulled a sword down from it. He laid the training sword carefully down on a nearby sofa and took up the more elaborate sword again, making his way towards Thor's bedroom, where his snores rang out like a bilgesnipe.

Loki smirked and pushed the door open silently, his bare feet stepping into the plush red rug of Thor's bedroom. He glanced around, trying to choose a suitable hiding spot. It had to be more like Thor than like himself. Whereas Loki would take care to plan his hiding spots and cast spells on them that made them extremely difficult to be found, it was more likely that Thor would take something on impulse and throw it into the first hiding spot he found.

So, to mimic this impulsive, sloppy behavior, he quieted his racing mind, closing his eyes for a second and then opening them. He glanced around, letting his mind passively observe everything in the room. Nothing swayed his thoughts-it was simply instinctual, not thought out at all. Sometimes that was the best way to go-in this case, he was replicating Thor glancing around and picking the first hiding spot that came to mind, without thinking things through, which was so like Thor, Loki thought.

He settled upon under the bed and took a step or two forward, then slid the sword under the bed, letting part of it poke out as if it had been put there in a hurry. It slid soundlessly on the carpet, only a gleam of gold visible from beneath the bed. Satisfied, Loki slipped back out of Thor's bedroom and couldn't help a smirk from growing on his face.

Loki left the training sword on the sofa and stood in front of the sword wall, studying its pattern. Sword walls like Thor's were meant to be kept in meticulous order. When they were first erected, a pattern was chosen by the owner of the wall and that pattern was meant to be kept. Usually the pattern was aesthetically pleasing, hinting at the Asgardian's strength yet supposed delicacy, and was also there to show how the Asgardians took care of their weapons and were a formidable enemy.

Thor's was a mess. A couple swords were out of order and some were not quite polished up correctly, showing slight smears of dirt and dried blood. Loki smirked. Thor would get in enough trouble for that, he thought.

He turned, leaving the sword wall in its mess-though he did cast a short spell behind him to make it look worse than it was to anyone who saw it-and picked up the training sword from the sofa.

He walked over to Thor's bedroom door and carefully set the sword down, then raised his hands up, his mind running through the spells he needed. He tested the limits of the boundaries Frigga had put on his magic with these spells, feeling the shell that surrounded the magic he could use and blocked off all other magic. It was slightly stretchy-he wasn't a prisoner, after all, he had more rights and was just a teenager anyway-but still didn't allow for much wiggle room.

His hands flew in the air. Loki carefully controlled his breathing, trying not to make too much noise as he felt the energy being sapped from him. Now, for the next several days, Thor's memories would consist of him stealing the sword and, later, of him leaving his own training sword in one of the ballrooms. It would wear off in a couple days, but by then Thor's punishment would be meted out and Loki would get his satisfaction.

Loki was feeling the drain on his magic. Working with memories was difficult. They were malleable and very easy to change and twist, but they were well defended by the walls of a person's mind. It was also difficult to gauge how much one changed another's memories. If one twisted it too much, the change became permanent and the person's memory was not accurate to recall the event, but if one twisted it too little, the change barely lasted a few minutes and the person's memory was unharmed. Also, one had to change it at a certain speed. Twist the memory too fast and the person felt a sharp pain in their skull, giving a clear indicator of their memories being tampered with, but if one twisted too slowly, the change would still be noticeable.

Twist and change just right, however, and one got the result Loki was going for. He had put safeguarding spells on his own magic, preventing himself from accidentally twisting the memories too much to the extremes. He had practiced with himself beforehand with magical markers, so if he messed up, he always knew where the memory was normal again.

With a smirk, Loki felt the memory click into place. He tested it, tugging slightly on the memory, before gently pressing his magic against it. Sure enough, he felt the memory shift ever so slightly up, out of the notch Loki had put in to the magic cast on it and towards the place where the memory was normal again. In a few days, it would be normal again.

Satisfied, Loki put one last quick spell on it to ensure nothing would go wrong-although he may love mischief, he had no desire to hurt his brother-and his hands performed one last spell that hid his magical trace. Hopefully, that would deter Frigga from finding his magic for a bit, though Loki didn't have a lot of confidence that she wouldn't find his magical traces by the time they wore off.

He made it back to his room with no problem and smirked, then let himself fall into sleep.

…

Loki woke and, as the haze of sleep wore off, he smirked and rose with a new, unusual energy. The servants grew wary as they watched him get ready with a spring in his step. Whispers started; he must've played a prank or done something.

After breakfast, Loki heard Odin walk to Thor's room. He crept out once he knew Odin was in and stood at the door, listening.

"Father?"

"Thor, the guards are missing an advanced training sword and they found your training sword in the ballroom. Did you take the sword in favor of your own? And, why is your sword wall out of order? You know that is supposed to be kept meticulous."

"Yes. I took the training sword." Thor's voice sounded despondent. "Why can't I use them, Father? I want to use those swords! And, my sword wall isn't that bad!"

"Thor, you know you can't use those swords yet. Your sword wall must also be kept in meticulous order. I expected better of you. The next week you will spend in your room, cleaning your swords or in the armory, cleaning those swords, along with your regular classes. Where is that sword?"

Minutes later, Odin's heavy steps moved towards the door. Loki darted back to his room and slid inside just as Thor's door closed and Odin passed by.

Loki smirked. Thor had gotten what he deserved for getting him in trouble for the healer's book.


	13. Chapter 13: Harvest Flies Part 1

_A/N: Okay, so I came up with a certain sort of illness. Since the Jotuns have such a hate for Asgardians, it would be natural for them. They would have grown up on those stories and eventually it'd become almost instinct to hate Asgardians, like a prey knows its predators. I thought that Loki would have that same instinctual hate, but it would only come out when Odin's magic faltered. I know Loki disguised himself in the movies when he was a baby, but I thought that Odin would reinforce it so that he really couldn't drop the glamour. Anyway, I thought that a cold fever was when Odin's magic faltered and Loki's Jotun side came out slightly; he felt a chill beneath his skin, he had an unnatural anger towards Asgardians, his temper was as fickle as the wind. I guess like a girl on her period, except not monthly. More like yearly. Anyway, that's what a cold fever is. Enjoy!_

A warm, gentle breeze made the grass tips blow in waves across the Asgardian gardens. Underneath one particular tree sat a small figure, bent over a book bound in dark green leather. The sun lent its soft warmth to the pale skin of the boy, tanning it slightly and almost entirely unnoticeably. His raven hair, slicked neatly back against his head, provided a sharp contrast against the paleness of his skin. It was a perfect summer day, and Loki was enjoying it by reading one of his favorite books.

This was his favorite spot in the Asgardian gardens, in a perfect spot, slightly deviant from the path but not as well hidden as some of his other spots. It was surrounded by some of the most exotic flowers in the gardens and, in late afternoon, the sun shone perfectly down on it. It made the spot pleasantly warm and the shade of the single tree in the small area provided a slight chill to the air, which Loki enjoyed as his eyes followed the words printed before him.

Fortunately, Thor was busy practicing, and he never went into the gardens very much anyway. Even when he did, he was usually with Sif and the Warriors Three, and they never strayed from the path. So Loki was alone for the day, blissfully unaware of any troubles he might've had beforehand and entirely lost in the history of magic. It was a rather interesting take on history, actually. It was something the Midgardians called historical fiction. This story was like that, from the perspective of a fictional character and yet historically accurate. This book was classified as a legitimate history textbook because the stories in the book purposely highlighted the most important events and aspects of every historical event, and also—

Loki cut off that line of thought. He turned his emerald eyes back to the printed words and immersed himself in the Third Jotun War.

Three hours later, the temperature had dropped a few degrees and the breeze had taken on a slight nip to it as it blew across the gardens, but Loki took no notice. He continued reading, apparently so lost in his book that he didn't notice the servant quietly walking towards him. It was well known that, when roused from his reading, Loki could take on a terrible temper, resulting in the later revenge in the form of some trick or another, or he could be perfectly pleasant and compliant. The servant took another couple steps forward and his shadow fell over Loki's small form. The young prince glanced up from his book and his shoulders slumped in annoyance that he had to go in to eat. He rolled his eyes at the servant's unspoken message and closed his book, standing up and walking slightly ahead of the servant, who kept his eyes downcast as he followed the prince inside. Once they made it to the dining hall, the servant gave a discreet nod at Odin, who nodded back, and left the hall, leaving Loki to take his seat at the table. The servant was building up hope that he would not find himself in one of Loki's cruel pranks by the end of the night, but you never knew. He seemed quite annoyed today; that could mean anything for him, he thought as he returned to the servants' quarters.

Loki sat silently at the table, idly playing with the plate of warm food in front of him and ignoring the discussion that Odin and Thor were holding next to him about war strategies. He listened quietly, though, forming his own responses in his mind. He managed to mentally beat every strategy Thor could come up with, but Odin's strategies proved more difficult, as he imagined the formations of troops and the movements the strategies included. Odin had been doing this for several centuries, after all.

Finally, Odin took notice of him, pointedly addressing him so Loki would say _something,_ with an obvious undertone of disapproval at Loki's clipped answers. He just wasn't in the mood tonight.

" _Loki,"_ Odin started, his voice having a bite to it, "what do you think of the battle strategies Thor just mentioned?"

"There are many flaws-too many, actually," he said, not looking up from pushing his food around on his plate in the formation of one of his spells.

"And those are?" Odin pressed. Loki sighed internally. He wished he had the privileges of other children. In Midgardian years, he was around eight or nine. For most Asgardian children, that meant only slightly restricted freedom. For the Princes of Asgard, that meant the introduction of war and battle strategies. Usually, Loki loved studies like that-it was all a game to him, a challenge to his mind to figure out how to defeat the other side in strategy-but tonight he really would like to keep his thoughts to himself. He was feeling strangely isolated and detached-well, strangely as in more than usual. He just wanted to think without being interrupted and forced to voice his thoughts.

This served to make his answers very short, which only irritated Odin further. He glanced up at Thor, green eyes meeting blue, and began speaking, his eyes shifting to Odin, giving him a look that meant he really didn't want to talk. It would probably only serve as an irritant, causing Odin to ask more questions, but sometimes it worked and Odin quieted, his annoyance silenced but for the bite in his words as he carried on conversation with Thor.

"Thor's battle strategies are easy to break through. The defense is not built up enough, and wars cannot be won with simple offense. There is an element of strategy and manipulation to all of this. Wars are constituted of defense and offense, not brute strength, though," Loki turned his gaze back to Thor, meeting his eyes, "I would not hold the expectation that you would know that, brother."

He stood up abruptly, wondering where that sudden bitterness came from-something felt off to him today. It happened sometimes; he felt a sudden chill in his veins and he wished for nothing more than to distance himself from the Asgardians, his anger was ignited easier around them. Today, it seemed worse than before; his skin was cold to the touch and Loki swore he even saw a bluish tinge to it. A curious, interesting thought flitted across his mind, but he dismissed it quickly. That was impossible.

He turned from the table, leaving his uneaten plate just as Frigga walked in. She glanced from Loki to Odin and Thor, before she reached out a hand to Loki, her warm blue eyes concerned, and pulled away as she felt the cold bite of his skin. She understood what was happening; it was best to leave him alone. If he was instigated too much, his secret would really come out and that would not be good, especially when her and Odin were not ready to tell him. Leaving him alone was the best way to ensure his true nature remained hidden from the Nine Realms.

Loki walked briskly out, his feet trained in silence, and went up to his rooms. He laid on his bed for an hour or two, before he felt darkness slowly consume him and he fell asleep.

…

Loki woke up to bright morning light shining in his face. He groaned and turned over, throwing his arm above his head and burying his face in his pillow, feeling the sheets twist around his legs. He ignored them, trying to fall back asleep, but he couldn't. His mind was already racing.

Someone knocked at the door. _Asgardian,_ his mind went as his head raised slightly. Loki groaned again. It was one of those days again; he felt the chill run through his body and let his head flop back down on the pillow. He repeated this, his forehead slamming against the soft pillow, before he turned over and sat up, blinking as the door opened and a tray of food rolled in on a cart. The servant bowed, keeping his eyes downcast, only meeting Loki's gaze once for a short second as he spoke.

"The Allmother has requested you take breakfast in here. She believes it would be beneficial to you to take some alone time today because of your cold fever," he said in a voice conditioned from years of service to the royal family, confident but still submissive. He was not afraid of the royal family's wrath like some of the newer servants were; he knew the rules well.

"Dismissed," Loki said, a slight irritated growl in his voice. He had a sudden urge to blast the servant into next week with a spell, but he refrained and stayed perfectly still, muscles tensed, until the door clicked softly shut. 'Cold fevers' like these were when Loki grew older than he was, with more anger than he normally harbored, and usually against Asgardians. They usually meant the day alone in his room, where he paced like a caged animal, unwilling to read and yet unable to cause havoc in the castle because of the complete lockdown of his magic. He knew that it was in the drink they served him at breakfast, but he drank it anyway, because he was still at least partly rational and feared what he would do to the castle if the cold fever was fueled by his vast reserves of magic. Being around nine or ten, he could only feel a small bit of his magic, but when cold fevers came on, his 'vision' of his magic expanded greatly.

Today was no different. He downed the water, tasting the subtle hint of the magic-restraining drug, and felt his magic slowly be squeezed into a tight ball, locked away, until it no longer filled him, but instead left most of him empty and condensed into a small space within him.

He paced the room once the food was taken away half-eaten, his muscles tensing until the servant left the room, fighting the strong urge to whip out a dagger and stab the man. Instead, he thought of Thor-loud, boisterous, brotherly Thor-until his cold fever kicked in to those memories and he felt a sudden, unexplainable burst of anger towards his brother. His hand lashed out, attempting to cast a rather explosive spell towards the wall on instinct, before green sparks flashed from his hands and fizzled out, falling to the floor and disappearing. He sighed, his anger fleeing as fast as it had appeared, and he sat down on the bed. He stayed there for a moment before he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called, feeling almost like himself again-ten years old, a couple years from adolescence, but still a child, young and eager and innocent. The door opened and Thor's head poked around. He opened it further and walked inside a couple steps, looking slightly nervous. He'd apparently been informed of Loki's cold fever.

Loki stood up. "Don't worry, brother, it's not as bad now. Do you want to go play something?" he assured him, giving him a smile that fit his age-innocent, wide, shining like the sun, as all children's smiles should. Thor's shoulders relaxed and he responded to this amicable mood instantly.

"Indeed, brother! How about Jotuns and Asgardians? I can have Sif, Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral fetched," he said. Loki felt a burst of irritability and he sat down on the bed. His magic pulsed in its bonds in response to the mention of the Warriors Three and Sif.

"Thor!" he burst out, his tone annoyed, and Thor flinched. Loki put his hand to his forehead, the flash of anger gone as soon as it had appeared, and he dropped backwards onto his silky emerald sheets, staring up at the ceiling. He sighed.

"If now's not a good time, brother-"

"No!" Loki sat up suddenly, his head snapping towards Thor. He had no wish to be alone for the day knowing that Thor was off with his friends. Thor jumped; Loki clamped forcefully down on his emotions, not wanting them to ruin his chance at doing something today.

"No," he repeated, calmer now. "It's-it's nothing. You know how I get," he said. Thor walked forward until he stood at the foot of the bed.

"Are you certain, brother? I can always come back," he offered.

Loki shook his head. His feelings still seemed a bit unsteady, but otherwise he had tight control of his emotions and actions. He stood up and walked to the door. He swung it open and gestured to Thor. "After you," he said. Thor gave him a strange look, but smoothed it out quickly and walked through the door. Loki followed, swinging the door shut behind him and walking with Thor down to the small area of woods they usually played in. Thor waved at a servant along the way, ordering him to fetch the Warriors Three and Sif.

Once all six were there, Thor quickly divided them up into the Jotuns and the Asgardians.

Theoretically, it was supposed to be even, but due to Loki's superior magic skills, he was often the only Jotun player. Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and Thor would all try to tag him. Usually it took several hours for Loki's magic to tire out and his tricks to cease. He enjoyed toying with them, yes, but he was getting tired of always being the one that was being chased, on the bad side. He wanted to be on the good side.

Loki instinctively reached for his magic, then his shoulders slumped as he felt its bonds, tightening around it for a split second as a warning before releasing. He glanced at Thor, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg, who were waiting to run into the woods after Loki.

Thor counted down. "Three, two, one—go!"

Loki took off, leaping over trees and boulders. He found the best hiding spot he knew—he didn't have his magic, so he'd have to make do with normal tricks. Usually he'd play with them for a bit, making them chase him, then he'd turn invisible and give them little hints, only for them to find nothing there.

Seconds after he slid behind the bush, into the tree and placed the bark over the opening, he heard footsteps thundering through the small section of forest.

He waited.

"Where is he? He doesn't have his magic so he shouldn't be that hard to find," Sif said somewhere to Loki's left. He smirked. If only she knew—he wasn't just good at magic, he was generally skilled in lies and deceit. He had heard the nickname Silvertongue thrown around a couple times before, when he had to sit in on Odin's court. He suspected it'd be one of the many names they called him, eventually. In his opinion, it wasn't the most offensive, either. It was more of a compliment to him compared to some of the other names they threw at him.

Slowly, Loki slid back the bark and carefully extracted himself from the tree. The bush in front of him rustled a bit; he froze. When no one came to check the bush, he moved the bark back in front of him-he couldn't have anyone finding his hiding spot, after all-and glanced up.

He reached an arm up and started climbing.


	14. Chapter 14: Harvest Flies Part 2

Thirty minutes later, Loki perched on a branch directly above Thor. He smirked, listening for Fandral's quiet footsteps off to his right. Obviously Fandral saw him; now, it was only a matter of time before he alerted Thor and the chase really began.

"Loki! I will find you, monstrous Jotun!" Despite the tone, Thor was grinning playfully as he searched the nearby bushes in the clearing.

Fandral stepped out of the bushes to Loki's right. His eyes flicked upwards and he met Loki's gaze. Loki tensed as Fandral pointed at him and Thor turned, following Fandral's finger.

"He's up there!" Fandral said. Thor grinned and set off to attempt to catch Loki.

"I will catch you, Jotun! You can't hide from me!"

Despite Loki's dissatisfaction with being the Jotun all the time, he smiled and jumped from branch to branch. Thor and Fandral followed beneath, waiting for the perfect opportunity to leap up and catch him.

Loki heard a satisfied "Aha!" from behind him. He switched direction, instead jumping upwards-out of their reach-and perching on a branch above Thor and Fandral. He turned backwards and saw Thor holding something in his left hand. His right hand came up and pulled something, then he pinched the small, black something between his fingers and glanced up at Loki, running towards him, a smug grin on his face.

Curious, Loki decided to take a risk. He leapt to the branches behind him when they both glanced away, then swung nimbly down, his feet landing silently on the grass. He stayed behind the tree, listening intently. He could almost feel when Thor glanced up and couldn't find Loki. He suppressed his laughter as he heard them crash around, looking for him.

"Where'd he go? He can't have gone far!" Thor threw aside a branch as he looked in a bush. Loki, mere feet away, ducked the branch and watched as it landed heavily on the ground a few feet away.

He decided to move, then got a much better idea and almost laughed out loud. He glanced to the side; Thor, satisfied with the fact that Loki wasn't in the bush, left the bush and went further away. Loki grabbed the branch above him and swung up to it. He returned to his earlier position, on the exact same branch, before he had jumped down.

"What are you doing? I've been right here the whole time!" he said calmly. Thor and Fandral both froze and their heads snapped to him. Fandral shook his head in disbelief and Thor's mouth dropped open. Loki laughed at their expressions.

Suddenly, Loki froze. Something crashed in the bushes nearby; he spun to the direction of the noise and watched as Volstagg came hurtling out of the undergrowth. He fell, tumbling head over heels before landing face-up directly below Loki, who cocked his head like a cat and stared down at Volstagg.

"Nice for you to drop by," he commented dryly. Volstagg grinned and rolled over, then stood up.

"Found you!" he said. Fandral walked up behind him.

"Yes, all three of us found him, Volstagg. The question is, can we catch him? We've been trying for the last ten minutes. It hasn't worked very well, as you can see," Fandral explained.

Thor ran up to them with another small black thing pinched between his fingers. He held it out to Fandral and Volstagg, who turned to him. "I know how we can get him down!"

Loki listened to their scheming. He laughed. "Thor, if I'm up here and you're down there, that's not going to work. Chasing me with a harvest fly won't do much except give me more incentive to run away."

Thor whispered in Fandral's and Volstagg's ear, and they both ran off. Loki waited, amused, until they came back. Fandral carried two wood stumps and Volstagg held two harvest flies pinched between his fingers.

Loki was interested now. He hated harvest flies; Thor always chased him around with them. They were completely harmless to Asgardians, but he still hated having them crawl on his skin. It was creepy and they were often used against him.

Loki thought about leaving now-he had an easy path to the next tree-but he decided to wait out Thor's plan. He watched as Fandral put the stumps around the tree and Volstagg held Thor's fly. Fandral climbed up on one stump and began to climb the tree. Halfway up, Volstagg handed Fandral a harvest fly.

Too late, Loki realized what their plan was. His path to the next tree was blocked by Fandral and there wasn't another tree he could jump to without touching the ground. Plus, Fandral was getting too close and Thor was beginning his ascent up the stump.

Loki moved quickly, going to the lowest branch and jumping down as fast as possible. He started sprinting for the other trees. Volstagg followed and Thor leapt down from the stump. They gave chase, holding their flies out in front of them and laughing.

Loki turned around and started running backwards. Thor and Volstagg kept going. He sidestepped them as they passed, their momentum too fast to slow down quickly, and he began to sprint to the side, his head still turned to keep track of Thor and Volstagg, when he heard an "Ah!" and arms wrapped around him.

Loki's head snapped around and he met Sif's gaze. He twisted out of her grasp just as he felt her arms tighten in realization of who he was. She growled in frustration as he darted away, tried to give chase, and stopped short as Thor and Volstagg barreled in front of her, their arms held out in front of them. She glanced to her left and saw Fandral in close pursuit. He slowed as he saw her.

"Grab a harvest fly. They're chasing him with them. We can surround him. He hates them," he explained, out of breath. Sif nodded and he started running again.

Sif was no stranger to disabling the flies. Out of all of them, Loki was the only one that didn't like to touch them. She was about to set off to find a fly when Hogun appeared and held a fly out to her. She smiled and took it, then they glanced at each other and began running after everyone else.

Fifteen minutes later, Loki stood, panting, surrounded by Thor, Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral, who all held out tiny harvest flies pinched between their fingers towards him. He raised his hands in surrender.

"All right, you've caught me! I surrender!" Loki stated, grinning. He laughed as all five tackled him and he went down in a tangle of limbs.

"Hey, that's my arm!" Sif yelled.

Fandral drew his arm back sheepishly. "Sorry."

Sif grinned and seized his upper arm, then pulled him away from the pile and pinned him down face-first into the grass with his arm twisted up his back. Fandral, despite his slight hiss of pain, started laughing.

"Hey!" he protested. "I didn't do anything!"

"You're a boy!" Sif proclaimed. Then, her grin turned wicked. She used her other arm to point down at Fandral. "He's a traitor! He helped the Jotun escape!"

"Hey! No I didn-" Fandral was cut short as Thor launched himself off of Loki and, with a loud battle cry through his broad smile, he descended on Fandral, delivering multitudes of light punches all along his back around his arm and Sif's hand.

Fandral started laughing uncontrollably and squirming. "Thor, that's more like a massage than an attack! Stop it! That tickles! _Thor!"_

"I shall not have mercy on the traitor!" Thor stated grandly. "Volstagg, help me!"

Volstagg came off Loki, who was also squirming beneath him and Hogun as he was tickled ruthlessly, and sat near Fandral's head. He reached down and Sif let go of Fandral's arm, only for Volstagg's massive hands to pin them down. Then, Sif sat on Fandral's legs.

"Now my prey is caught!" Thor yelled. He began tickling Fandral, who started writhing, but couldn't get anywhere. Hogun soon joined in and Loki stood up. He gave a mischievous smile and tapped on Thor's shoulder.

Thor turned. "Loki, have you come to help us punish the traitor?"

Loki shook his head. "No, I've come to give you advice on how to do it better."

Thor tilted his head. "And how's that?"

Loki whispered in his ear and Thor started grinning with playful wickedness.

Fandral yelped as Sif found his most ticklish spot.

"You're going to regret this!"

"That's a bit hard to believe right now, Fandral," Sif laughed as Fandral struggled uselessly against Hogun, Volstagg, and Thor. Loki tackled Fandral through a gap in their bodies and he attacked him with more tickling. Fandral shouted out in indignation, only to devolve into laughter.

"Stop it, my sides hurt! My cheeks hurt, for Odin's sake! _Thor, stop it!"_

"No mercy!" Thor declared grandly, and renewed his efforts.

Fandral groaned., but he grinned broadly.


	15. Chapter 15: Abused Part 1

_A/N: Did I mention these stories are all at various time frames? Not in chronological order, either. The age is usually indicated by the behaviors and vocabulary of Thor and Loki... anyway, this fic is around their later teen years, very close to the start of the Asgardian MCU. I was thinking that Loki was actually very pure before he discovered he was a Frost Giant, so he would help someone before he would leave them. This fic is a bit more serious, but it still has a sort of fluffy, good-vibes feel to it. I think. I don't know. Anyway. Enjoy!_

Morning light filtered through Loki's bedroom windows, casting the room in amber, as he slept peacefully.

Well, peacefully until Thor barged in, slamming Loki's doors open with a loud crash and making Loki's entire body jump in shock.

Loki groaned and burrowed further into his blankets. He threw an arm over his head, hugging his pillow, while curling up into a ball to attempt to keep his blankets. He was cocooned in a heavenly ball of warmth and he had no desire to leave.

Apparently, Thor did.

Thor walked confidently up and yanked the blankets off of Loki. Loki whined as he felt the cold air rush onto his side and legs and growled as his other hand reached down to yank the blankets back. When he felt nothing, he turned his head towards Thor and forced his eyes open, making an irritated noise and reaching for the blankets, which Thor held and was pulling away from him.

"Give me back my blankets, you oaf! Let me go to sleep!" Loki demanded, leaning forward and trying to pull the blankets back. Thor took a step back, taking the blankets with him, and Loki growled. He flopped back on the bed, stayed there for a moment, then sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes and glaring at Thor.

"What was so important you needed to wake me from my most comfortable sleep? And I hope this is good, because if it's not, you will find yourself at the receiving end of one of my pranks by the afternoon for waking me from my sleep that I will have you know was most comfortable," Loki threatened.

Thor rolled his eyes. He dropped the blankets and came to sit beside Loki on the bed. "It can't have been that comfortable. This room is freezing!"

"Hence the blankets," Loki pointed out sarcastically.

"Well, even if you did prank me, I'd tell Father and you'd be in trouble anyway," Thor argued.

It was Loki's turn to roll his eyes. "Just get on with it. What was it that made you wake me?"

Thor threw up his hands. "Do you not remember, brother? It's the first day of this year that Father lets us sit in on court!"

Loki groaned and flopped back down on the bed. "I have no love for the politics in court. The politicians from other realms are all rich snobs with no mind for morals. I'd rather go without my magic for a day than hold court and have to listen to their speeches, as if they could convince me with their petty words and empty promises. They're fools, all of them," he complained.

Thor's shoulders slumped. "Well, you have to come to court anyway. Father won't have disrespect for not teaching his sons how to hold court."

Loki groaned yet again, rather loudly. "I have no desire to sit with them. Court is cutthroat, Thor. They wear crowns made of thorns and glass dripping with blood. They wield silver knives and their ruin comes upon you with no warning, and their ruin is quite thorough. They'll leave you on the ground while you stain it red with your blood as quickly as they'll sweet-talk their way into your affections. Court isn't kind, Thor. It's not fun." _Especially for me,_ he thought. The nobility treated Thor as a golden child; they wouldn't dare risk Odin's wrath if they harmed Thor. Loki, however, was a different story. He was often jeered and insulted when Odin wasn't looking. They knew very well he wouldn't tell.

Thor was silent after Loki's harsh description. He swallowed hard. "Please, Loki? Father will be angry and you know how he is when he's angry. I don't-I don't want you to get in trouble for not going," he pleaded.

Loki sat up. He glanced at Thor. "I didn't think you cared all that much."

"Of course I care, Loki!" Thor looked shocked. "I've always cared! I've lost count of how many times I've defended you in regular conversations with those politicians. I hate them too, Loki, but it's better to simply paste a smile on your face and make the most of it. Eventually, that smile won't be fake. Loki, I'm sure you can do that. It'll get better eventually."

Loki severely doubted that happening, but he nodded anyways. He didn't want to risk Odin's wrath, either-those politicians had some sense, at least-and he wouldn't leave Thor to go to court alone. As much as Thor knew about court, Loki knew more and was very well versed in the violent battlefield that was court. He would not leave Thor alone with those monsters, no matter how well a mask they wore.

He stood up and opened his wardrobe. "I'll go," he said, spinning around with a full outfit in hand. He went into the changing room and came out ten minutes later fully dressed and ready to go.

Instead of his usual attire, he wore a simple, plain green top with a decorative gold armor chestplate over it and a dark green cape hanging down his back. He also wore tight black leather pants and simple black boots with decorative green designs and buckles. Completing the outfit was a simple, thick gold bracelet with the mark of Odin's house on it.

Thor, already dressed in court attire, began walking by Loki's side as they made their way down to the Great Hall.

"What day is it? Do you know?" Thor asked.

"I don't know. I don't keep track of the days of court. As I said, I want nothing to do with them," Loki retorted sharply. They turned a corner and Loki ended up a few steps ahead, his pace quick and annoyed. Thor jogged a bit to catch up.

"Don't be so sulky, brother. It won't be that bad. Look! I can hear the sounds of partying!"

Loki rolled his eyes. "That's the calm before the storm. Thor, you're very sheltered. No one dares harm the golden prince of Asgard for fear of Odin's wrath, but I am an exception to that rule. I have seen the darker side of court, Thor, and it's nothing like what you've seen."

Thor sighed. "As you wish, Loki. But, this day will go much better if you simply smile," he said.

Loki didn't have a chance to reply, as the guards pushed the grand double doors of the Great Hall open and they walked through. The entire Hall gradually quieted down.

"Thor and Loki Odinson, the Princes of Asgard!" the guard announced. The crowd parted for them as they walked slowly down the middle, and each took their place by Odin's side. Frigga sat in a throne a little to the side, for she was not a major part in the court proceedings, but she was not any less valued because of it, either. She might have had more knowledge than Odin about court; he often took her advice about court to heart with no question of her authority.

Loki prepared himself for a long day; Thor prepared himself for conversing with the women of the court. Odin prepared himself for resolving issues and making alliances, and Frigga prepared herself for a long day with women she didn't like.

Odin silenced the nobility and they all turned towards him. "We gather here today to celebrate the success of our realm, the golden realm of Asgard. Today, we shall care not only for our nobility but for our common citizens as well. Today, we will weigh our citizen's matters and resolve their issues, easing their worries and ensuring the further growth of Asgard as a whole. I call for a toast to our constant victories against adversity and the prosperity of Asgard for many millennia to follow," Odin boomed. The nobility cheered and glasses clinked all around, before Odin stood up regally and walked down to mingle with the guests. Frigga sighed and followed, then Thor, and finally Loki.

Odin made his way towards the noble houses he wished to make strong alliances with. It was important for him to ally himself with certain houses, for if he didn't make friends with the nobility, there would be nothing stopping them from overthrowing him. It was necessary for him to make sure that he would have allies should he ever have a revolution.

Frigga pasted a smile onto her face and reluctantly sat down with the ladies. She was served a cup of tea by a servant and she sipped it as she listened to their conversation, which was dreadfully boring. Nevertheless, she laughed at the right times and chipped in a few words. She knew how important it was to keep up appearances with the nobility.

Thor wandered over to the young women, who giggled as he came over. They fanned themselves. His eyes glanced around the corner the women occupied and he laughed as Fandral was already flirting with some of them. Thor had no taste for these shallow women, but he grinned broadly, thinking of the hours to come, and walked over. He knew how Odin wanted him to marry off someday and continue the Odinson line.

Loki slipped through the crowd, barely touching anyone or talking to anyone. He only had a couple hours of this, then the real court started. By Odin's speech in the beginning, he knew this was a day where the citizens would come in and state their problems. Then, Odin would resolve them with a few suggestions from the nobility. He need only stand there when that happened; he had no part to play in that. So, he would endure the welcoming celebration and wait until he would be protected by Odin's watchful eyes.

"Runt!" a familiar male voice called out. Loki closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and continued walking. He had almost made it to the edge of the crowd when he felt someone seize his arm. He jerked away, resisting the urge to punch them as he turned, barely keeping his annoyance from his face.

Raol stood before him, a smug smirk on his face. "Little touchy there, kitty," he taunted. He poked Loki's arm and Loki fought the automatic flinch and urge to grab his wrist, spin him around, and twist his arm up behind his back until he screamed. Raol knew he hated the nickname 'kitty," which was why he used it nearly every time they met.

Instead, he used his sharp tongue to cut Raol. "Be careful-you might use your entire vocabulary in one sentence," he retorted, his voice as calm as a lake, but Raol knew very well what cold darkness lurked beneath the water's surface.

"As if," he countered. "What have you been up to recently? Faerie tricks?"

Loki didn't show his annoyance in his face. "My 'faerie tricks' could kill a man," he said coolly.

Raol let out a short, harsh laugh. "You couldn't kill a fly. What makes you think you can intimidate me when you make sparkles fly from your fingers?"

Loki shrugged and raised his hand up. He lazily let green sparks jump between his fingers. "These 'sparkles,' as you so like to call them, are quite powerful." He looked around-everyone in his close vicinity was engaged in conversation. Loki snapped his fingers and appeared behind Raol, then leaned in close to his ear. "Boo," he said.

Raol jumped about a foot in the air and spun. He gained control of his momentary fear and was back to the smug smirk. "So what, you can appear behind me. How does that help in battle?"

Loki appeared behind Raol again, but this time he thrusted his hand forward to collide with his lower back and put the illusion of a dagger there, stabbing right through his stomach.

"This is useful, is it not?" he murmured in his ear, his voice dangerously low. Raol froze, but quickly relaxed and turned around. Loki was the one smirking now as he made the illusion vanish with a snap of his fingers and dropped his hand to his side.

This was going to be a long day.

…

"Let the court commence!"

Odin sat down on his throne after his announcement and watched as the nobility sat at the tables on either side of a red carpet. Thor and Loki sat at their own chairs on either side of Odin and Frigga sat on her throne a few feet away.

Loki watched as the double doors of the Great Hall opened and the first citizen walked up.

"My king," he said, and bowed. Odin ordered him to rise and he did.

"State your issue," Odin said. The man nodded.

Five minutes later, the council came to a decision about his issue and dismissed him. He bowed and walked out, passing the next woman, who started walking up the carpet.

Loki mostly zoned out during these few hours. He'd snap back to reality when the next person came up, he'd listen to their issue, then he'd stop listening to the court's bickering and arguing until the next person.

Two hours later, when they were nearing the end of the line, Loki glanced back at the red carpet from his study of the elaborate detailing of the golden Hall columns. He almost missed her-a small girl, only around thirteen in Midgardian years, dressed in a simple white dress and barefoot. She was the picture of innocence, though Loki figured she wouldn't be here if she was innocent. Usually the adults came; it must be something serious.

By now, Odin had acquired a goblet of mead. He tipped his head back and drained the goblet, then slammed it back down on the armrest. He was very nearly drunk, though Loki knew Odin wouldn't let himself get past that point.

As the goblet slammed into the armrest of Odin's throne, the girl flinched. Loki watched her carefully, curious. That flinch could only mean one of two things, by the way she nearly shook in front of Odin.

"State your issue," Odin boomed. The girl didn't speak for a second, then she began stuttering, as if in fear. Her voice grew smaller with every word.

"Y-Your Majesty," she began, "m-my name is Maria, and I need help with-"

She paused, as if afraid of what she was going to say, then looked up and met Odin's eyes. Loki saw a new defiance there; he resisted the urge to lean forward.

"My father. I need help with my father. Please. Your Majesty."

She glanced down, afraid again, and Loki began to put two and two together.

The entire hall was dead silent for a moment. Then, "Maria, what about your father do you need help with? Is he going out of business? Is he-"

Astonishingly, Maria had the nerve to interrupt Odin. She spoke quickly, her words in a rush, as if she didn't want to get in trouble for saying them.

"I need to get away from him."

Loki's fears were confirmed. He leaned towards Odin. "Father-"

"No, Loki," he murmured. Loki's jaw set in a firm line. He leaned back in his seat, bracing his hands against the armrests, and considered for a moment what he was about to do.

He abruptly stood up and took slow steps down the stairs towards Maria, ignoring Odin's whispered protests and his glare Loki could feel burning into his back as he made it down and stood in front of Maria. He crouched down so he was at eye level with her and gave a small smile, then his hand reached out and lifted her wrist up with the utmost gentleness.

Maria started shaking. "No, no, please-I'll get in trouble- _please-"_

Loki shushed her quietly. "Not if I can help it. I'm a Prince of Asgard, remember?" He smiled at her. She gave a tentative smile back.

He pushed her lacy white sleeve up and found pale skin there-marred with yellow and blue bruises, all along her inner arm. She had some cuts, too, which were scabbed over.

Loki heard a few court members take in sharp breaths, but Loki ignored them. He glanced up at Odin, whose stare was more than a bit disapproving as he watched Loki break court etiquette.

Loki could care less. He cared about this girl-no one deserved to be abused like she was, not at her young age.

"Father," Loki said, his voice steady and carrying across the court. His plea was evident in his tone; Odin knew exactly what Loki was asking.

Odin sighed. "Take her away," he ordered.

Loki's face grew into one of anger. Maria's went into one of horror. She started shaking and sobbing, pulling away from Loki and trying to run. Loki crouched there, his eyes meeting Odin's. His emerald gaze held disbelief, horror, anger-Odin's only held sadness as the guards rushed past Loki.

"No, no, please, he'll hurt me again, he'll hurt me, don't take me back there-"

She backed herself into a corner. Loki stood up and his hands started flying. He threw one of the guards against a wall and the other he knocked unconscious with his magic. As soon as that was done, he ignored the reinforcements coming in and rushed towards Maria. She was still crying. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and cast a magic shield around them, glaring defiantly at the guards who stood on the other side as he held her small, slight, shaking form in his arms.

One of the palace's few sorcerers rushed in, but he stopped short at the sight of Loki's hard emerald stare, the sorcerer's hands pausing halfway in the air.

"I dare you to try to take her back to her father," he said calmly, his voice dangerously quiet and edged with steel. He left one arm around Maria and the other raised up. Green flame ignited in his palm and he glared at the guards surrounding the shield.

Odin gave another loud sigh. "Retreat."

The guards and sorcerer obeyed, stepping away and leaving the hall in an orderly fashion. Loki stood up, the flame dying instantly and his hand wrapping around Maria to carry her bridal-style. He waved his hand and the shield dropped, then he walked swiftly out of the Hall, which was silent. No one protested or tried to stop him; Odin was the only one whose glare he could feel burning into his back. Loki knew he'd pay for this later, but right now, he could care less.


	16. Chapter 16: Abused Part 2

_A/N: Now that I continue writing this story, it's a bit darker than the rest in this collection, but it still has a happy ending. And this story might be more than five chapters... it's a bigger story than I originally thought it would be. Anyway, enjoy, and please review._

Loki walked all the way to his room with Maria in his arms. She was light, too light-she probably hadn't been fed for days, at least. He felt a new rise of anger in his chest at this thought and his steps became quicker, lighter, with his cold anger. He would have to figure out a deserving punishment for her father.

He set her gently down on his bed and snapped his fingers loudly. Instantly, three servants rushed in. None of them said a word at the strange girl on his bed, or the way his voice was hard and quick, impossible to disobey if one valued their life.

He turned towards them and took two calm steps forward. His servants had long since learned to control their fear of him when he was angry, but they were still fearful of what he would do should they disobey him while he was like this.

His voice was low and edged with steel. "Food, water, and first-aid. Do not speak a word of this to anyone. The food is going to the kitchen, the water to the servants' quarters, and the first-aid to the healer's," he said shortly. The last part he gave his servants a meaningful look-that meant that was their cover story. They nodded and seemed to telepathically divide it up, for they didn't speak a word as they walked out of the room.

Loki could have easily healed her with his magic, but her body seemed to be in a very weakened state and he wasn't sure if her body could have supported his magic. She was young-too young for him to work on her. She could've gone to the healer's wing and into a Soul Forge, but Loki didn't want the healers to know. He wanted as little people as possible to interfere with him taking care of her.

He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his, rubbing small circles into it. Maria's tears slowly stopped and she sat there staring numbly at the ceiling, a blank expression on her face. A few minutes later, her eyes slowly moved to meet Loki's.

"Why… why did you help me?" Her voice was soft, disbelieving. Broken.

He gave a small smile. "For all my mischief and tricks, I do still have a heart, you know."

She smiled. "But… why did you really help me? When no one else did? Why did you risk Odin's wrath to help a small, insignificant little girl?"

Loki remembered all the times that he had felt alone. When he stood, alone, in the training ring, watching Sif, Hogun, Volstagg, Thor, and Fandral walk away laughing. When he was made fun of for his magic and daggers. When he was called all sorts of names and no one came to his defense. It still happened, and he still felt the same loneliness. Sure, Thor was there, but sometimes it was just the fact that Thor was there, in all his golden glory, that made Loki feel alone.

"I know what it feels like to be alone, to suffer alone. I could care less about Father's wrath, if it means someone like you can be given a chance," he said. Maria smiled, and right then the three servants came back. They set the food, water, and first-aid kit down on a table near his bed and bowed, then left the room.

Loki stood up from the bed and went over to the table. He picked up one of the small sandwiches and gave it to Maria, who took it, then he set a glass of water down next to her on another table.

He got the first-aid ready while she ate and drank, then he turned around and waited until she set the glass of water down. She glanced up at him.

"You'll need to see my back," she said. Loki winced and nodded. She turned on her belly and he slid the top of the dress down, just enough so he could see the thin red scars that criss crossed her back.

Whip marks. Lots of them. And not gentle, either. They overlapped and some even curled around her sides. Some of the marks had tiny little needle punctures on the sides, as if the whip had been barbed.

He took in a sharp breath and began applying the cooling cream. She sighed in relief as the cream took effect; Loki rubbed small circles up and down her back, following the whip marks curling around her sides.

Maria closed her eyes and relaxed into his hand. "That feels much better. Thank you."

Loki gave a small smile. "No problem. Never-mind what my father says, I couldn't let you suffer. Not when you'd already gathered the courage to stand up to your father, and in front of the Allfather no less."

Once he finished her back, he helped her stand up and turned his back.

"Take the roll of gauze from the table and wrap it around your torso. It'll help the cream to stay on and heal your wounds," Loki instructed. Maria nodded and did so, then slipped on her dress.

Loki, sensing she was done, turned around and handed her another small sandwich. She smiled and took it, then he snapped his fingers and the three servants returned.

"You will answer to her for the rest of the day. I need to attend the ball tonight. Make sure she is kept safe for the rest of the night and do not speak a word of her to anyone," he instructed sharply. He then turned to Maria. "I am required, by court formality, to attend tonight's ball. That means I'll have to leave you alone, but I am leaving my three servants here to make sure you're safe and comfortable."

She nodded. "What will happen to my father, after all of this is over?"

Loki's eyes darkened. He turned away, clamping down on the building fire inside of him. It wouldn't do to go to court without a cool composure.

"He'll get what's coming to him," he said shortly. Maria felt a tinge of fear, seeing just how dangerous an enemy Loki could be. She nodded and watched him as he left.

…

Loki walked into the ball just as it was beginning. He slipped through the crowd as easily as water through a crack, before he bumped into someone. They spun around and Loki's stomach dropped as he saw it was Raol. He straightened up, determined not to be brought down by him.

"Oh!" Raol's voice was fake as he put his hand over his heart and mocked being shocked. "The hero has graced us with his presence!" He dipped into a graceful bow, then rose and met Loki's eyes, which weren't amused.

Raol smirked. "I am forever honored by your presence, _Your Highness,"_ he mocked. Loki sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Truly, Raol? Surely you know by now that your mockery doesn't faze me," he remarked calmly. Raol's smirk faded as he saw that his mocking hadn't worked to annoy Loki, and he resorted to glaring.

"Well then, I'll have to find something that _does_ annoy you. Let's say… your mother, perhaps? Queen Frigga seems like a nice enough woman… though I wouldn't know," Raol finished, his eyes holding a mischievous glint.

Loki held back the angry rush of magic and kept his calm eyes on Raol, though they longed to flick around and find Frigga.

He turned to the side, glancing at Raol from the corner of his eyes. "No, you wouldn't know," he said quietly, his voice carrying a dangerous, unspoken threat in them. Raol almost didn't dare to continue.

Almost.

Loki turned and wove through the crowd, making his way towards the edge of the crowd where he knew he wouldn't be disturbed. Raol struggled to keep up with him, but he managed to make it to the edge of the crowd with Loki.

"Is the great hero hiding? Oh, but I thought you were noble, and daring, and brave! Braver than me, most definitely!" Raol taunted from behind him. Loki made an exasperated noise-not at his taunts, but that he really thought they worked, and that he was following him and probably would for the rest of the night.

He turned sharply on his heel, making Raol stop short in front of Loki, who towered over him. Loki kept his irritation in check as his next words came out with measured restraint.

His voice was velvety soft as he leaned down and whispered in Raol's ear, an edge of steel hidden beneath the deceptive softness.

"I would suggest you do not follow me for the rest of the night. The consequences could be… _unpleasant,"_ he murmured. He straightened and pulled his coat down, then swept away without another word, heading for the drinks table.

Raol stood there, thoroughly unsettled. His head snapped to the side and he stared after Loki's retreating form, which melted into the crowd. He glanced back and gave Raol a smirk, then turned and slipped between the nobility.

Raol glanced back at the golden wall in front of him. He looked down. Maybe what he was thinking would be dangerous, and a bit more than unpleasant for him if he got caught.

Maybe it wouldn't.

…

Loki paused by the door and glanced around. Thor was thoroughly drunk, as was Fandral, and both were surrounded by young women vying for their bed for the night. He glanced around at Odin, who had prevented himself from getting drunk and was forming political alliances based on the nobles' weakness from the mead. Frigga was in one corner, looking thoroughly annoyed in her carefully crafted 'interested' facade as she listened to the other women's stories.

Most of the nobility were drunk by now, though the royal family wasn't allowed that luxury.

 _Well_ , Loki thought, glancing at Thor's drunken smile at a woman and unsteady voice as he called for another drink, _most of the royal family, anyway._

He turned and nodded at a guard as he passed through the doors and entered the silent hallway outside the Great Hall. He turned the corner at the end of the hallway and froze.

Loki stood there silently, his senses suddenly alert as a hunted animal and his magic pulsing as a reaction to the feeling that he was being followed. He waited a moment, turning around, then, still suspicious, he turned and began walking again.

Once he was turning the corner of the hallway his room was in, he froze again. Annoyed, he turned and swept his hand out, releasing a wave of magic throughout the hallway.

His mind pricked a bit, and he thought he sensed something in the hallway, but the prick faded and he couldn't sense anything. He nodded, satisfied, and turned, then entered his room, giving a small smile as he saw Maria reading in the chair.

…

Raol heard the door quietly close from a few hallways down and he sighed in relief, almost sliding down the wall. His arm was still tingling from the touch of Loki's magic, and he made sure to be extra cautious as he rounded the corner and walked silently down the hallway.


	17. Chapter 17: Abused Part 3

Loki closed the door silently behind him and walked towards Maria, who set her book down and watched as he took the armchair to her right. He turned to her.

"How was court?"

Loki sighed. "The usual. Name-calling, taunting, mockery. None of it works, of course, but he still loves to annoy me."

Maria winced. "Isn't there anything you can do to stop it? Tell your father, maybe?"

Loki scoffed. "He wouldn't believe me. Didn't you know Thor is the golden prince of Asgard? He's the future king." Loki glanced down. "I'm not. I'm the second prince. Second in line, second…-"

Loki cut himself off and stood up abruptly. He looked down at Maria. "Anyway, how did you fare while I was gone? Entertained, fed, kept safe…?"

Maria's face was still concerned. She stared at Loki for a moment before responding. He pretended not to notice. He didn't expect her to care about his problems. No one did-well, except for Frigga, but she was a different story.

"Yes, I-I was fine. The servants did well," Maria said. She glanced down, then back up at Loki, meeting his eyes. His eyes darted towards her and he paused. She seemed nervous again, like she had when she had confronted Odin. He wondered what about him would make her nervous-then he realized that it was probably because of her history with older men.

"Loki…" Her voice was tentative, as if she expected him to lash out if she continued.

He forced his features to soften, the tension leaving his face and his eyes softening. He wanted Maria to be able to trust people, not to be eternally scarred by her childhood.

She fidgeted, her head bowed, before her head abruptly raised and she met his gaze with a new confidence. Her words came out slowly, and tinged with concern. "Are you… okay? I mean, you don't have to tell me if it's personal, I understand because you're a Prince and all-surely I'm not one of the people you'd tell, I'm not royalty, but maybe if…" She trailed off at Loki's raised hand and watched as he sighed. He suddenly seemed very tired as he collapsed in the chair next to her and rubbed his face with his hand.

"I envy you," he said simply, once his head raised from his hand. His elbow rested on the arm of the chair and his fingers idly twirled a green ball of magic around them.

Maria was slightly taken aback. "What-why do you envy me?"

"You're not royalty. You don't have the responsibility of keeping up appearances wherever you go. You don't have a bar set for you in everything you do. You don't-" Loki stopped. The magic vanished and his arm dropped, thudding on the armrest. His head bowed.

"You don't kill a man at the age of twelve," he whispered. Maria just barely caught the words, and she took in a sharp breath.

"You-you-"

Loki stood up and she went silent. His face was suddenly one of anger-cold, refined anger that showed itself in the slight hardening of his eyes and the quickness of his step as he walked around the armchair and towards the back wall. He began flinging balls of magic at the magically protected area of the wall. His magic bounced off his protection in a shower of green sparks, highlighting the area they hit in glowing green before it faded and the next strike came in quick succession.

Suddenly, he stopped and began to turn towards Maria. "I just don't-"

He froze. Maria was in the chair, her hands on her head and her legs drawn up against herself. She was visibly trembling, her head buried between her torso and her knees. Loki's anger vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving behind no trace as he rushed towards her.

She was whispering to herself, shaking, and Loki thought he could hear a soft sniffling that meant she was crying. "Please-please don't-I didn't do anything wrong-don't hurt me, I didn't do anything wrong-I didn't, I didn't-"

"Maria. Maria!" Loki set a hand on her shoulder gently and she jumped, her voice rising for a bit before fading back into broken whispers.

"I didn't do it! I didn't, I swear!"

He took his hand off her shoulder, afraid of scaring her. He didn't know what to do-he had never been good at comforting people. He was more the quiet type, and usually he didn't care as much as he did now. For some reason, he felt a powerful urge to calm the small, shaking form in front of him, where usually he'd feel a detached indifference, save for a slight tinge of pity. But never this-never this powerful, almost parental instinct to calm her, protect her with his life.

His voice grew soft, something no one ever heard from him. "I know you didn't. You're okay, you're safe. I won't hurt you, Maria. You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered near her ear, not daring to touch her.

She didn't stop, though, her whispering only growing more frantic. "Then-then don't hurt me, please, don't hurt me, I've been good, doing everything you say-"

Loki hated what he was about to say next, hated that someone like her was conditioned into this, but he did it anyway, even though his voice was unsteady and he wanted to stop with every fiber of his being.

"Maria," he began, his voice suddenly sharp, if a bit unsteady, "get up. You didn't do anything wrong. Why are you there-" His voice failed, but he forced himself to continue. "Why are you there, snivelling like a baby? You're better than this childish behavior."

He watched her reaction and his stomach suddenly felt sick as she stopped shaking and muttering. She uncurled herself from her ball and stood up in front of him, not meeting his eyes.

He waited for another response, before he realized-and he took in a sharp breath.

She was waiting for an order.

His voice grew softer. "Maria. Maria. It's Loki. I'm not your father. You don't have to take orders from me."

She seemed to snap out of her reverie and her head snapped up. She met his emerald eyes, which were warm and hiding incredibly well the fire of anger beneath the surface. Her eyes were red from crying and she still looked a bit like a hunted animal. He took a slow step forward, unsure of how she would react.

She suddenly burst into tears and ran into Loki, who tentatively-if a bit surprised-put his arms around her. Her voice came muffled through his sleeve.

"Help me, please. I don't want to be like this anymore, so desperate. I want my father to be gone!"

Loki's head raised. He felt his magic rage beneath his skin, out to his fingertips, which sparked with the fire of anger. His voice was steady, certain, promising danger as he replied.

"Oh, he will."

…

Raol's heart pounded in his chest like a hunted animal as he hid behind the wide mahogany desk. He had listened to every word, and he actually felt bad for the girl's father. Hell, Raol's instincts told him to run by the tone of Loki's voice at the end. It would tell anyone to run, run as fast as possible from the incoming danger they wouldn't survive, not if Loki could help it.

He forced himself to breathe steady, trying not to be found. If he was found… well, he wouldn't think about that. He couldn't be found. He had work to do, he thought, a slow smile spreading across his face.

And Loki certainly wouldn't enjoy it.


	18. Chapter 18: Abused Part 4

_A/N: So, for anyone saying that Loki isn't in character in this story, I was thinking that his feelings and actions were like a seesaw before he figured out he was a Frost Giant. Typically, people go two directions with a past like he had: making sure no one else suffers like that, or making sure everyone else suffers like that. He was going towards the first one in the beginning, and Maria helped with that, but when he discovered he was Jotun, that Odin lied, and he was basically a "stolen relic," that turned him over to the other side, fueled by pain and hurt. He became less kind, though the light was still there. He became the Loki we know today._

 _Anyway, I'll stop ranting. Enjoy the story, and please review!_

Loki strode down the hallways the next morning in a turmoil of feelings. Part of him was planning devious deaths for Maria's father; another part was planning eternal ruin for her father, if he wasn't allowed to kill him; the rest of him was consumed with what Odin would say. He wasn't a child anymore; he needed to keep up appearances, and what he did yesterday wasn't exactly "appearances." Surely, Odin would be furious, and Loki dreaded what he would say. Well-he didn't really dread _all_ of it. Normal punishments, like being confined to his room, or joining the cleaning staff for a week-that was fine. He could do that just fine.

But if Odin demanded he send Maria back to her father, he would fight him with every trick in the book.

The thing was, Loki had a fear that Odin would win. There was no court around, nothing stopping Odin from immediately binding his magic and sending Maria back anyway. By then, Frigga would be perfecting the bindings and Loki wouldn't be able to stop it.

He paused before he turned the corner to the entrance to the throne room and made sure he had tight, masterful control on his magic, then he schooled his face into a calm expression. He sent his magic throughout his body. It flowed beneath his skin, giving his veins a green glow before fading, but he felt it energize him as he turned the corner and entered the throne room.

Odin sat atop his throne, looking disapproving as he watched Loki approach him. Thor stood beside him and Frigga stood a little to the left. She looked concerned, though also expectant, glancing from Loki to Odin often.

"Father," Loki said. Odin nodded.

"Loki, yesterday you broke court etiquette while court was in session for a small, insignificant girl. If you think that you can do the same for every poor child in Asgard-"

Loki couldn't contain it any longer. _I've been here less than five minutes and I'm already bursting out,_ he berated himself, but continued anyway. "She's not _poor,_ Father, she's _abused!_ Do you not feel anything for her? Of course I can't take every poor child in Asgard into the palace, but I can't let a young girl like her be taken back to her abusive father!"

"Then do you plan on taking every woman who has ever been abused into the palace? I assure you, Loki-"

"You _assure_ me?" he asked. "If you assure me of anything, assure me that Maria won't be sent back. Assure me that I will be allowed to continue taking care of her, exact revenge on her father, and allow her to stay at the palace as a maid for her life, once she has lived out her childhood. _Assure me that you have a heart."_

He watched as Odin was silent. He kept tight control of his magic, which threatened to burst with his emotions at any moment.

"No, Loki," Odin said, but he raised a hand as Loki opened his mouth to object. "She will be sent back out into Asgard with a sum of money to pay for her healing and then she will find a job. At the palace, we cannot set a standard of healthcare for every poor, abused child that happens to come our way. We don't have the time, resources, or money for that."

Loki's face changed to disbelief. His mouth opened in astonishment at how heartless Odin could be. Sure, he wasn't exactly the most caring, sentimental person ever, but he could at least understand that someone like Maria wasn't to be sent out alone after something as traumatizing as what she had been through.

His mouth closed and he raised his chin in defiance. "No."

Odin raised an eyebrow. "Loki, if you defy me, I will simply have to take her by force."

Loki felt something pierce his magic. He had had a feeling Odin would try something like this, taking Maria from his room while he was gone, so he had protection wards set up around his room.

And they had been breached.

He spun on his heel and ran towards his room. He would've teleported, but he'd need all the magic he could get to defend Maria. As it was, he shattered his wards and drew the magic back into himself, sending it flowing through an endless cycle through his body like blood, giving him extra speed and energy.

He turned down the hallway just as they led Maria out. She looked terrified, but relaxed slightly as Loki appeared. The guards made a circle around Maria, assuming defensive positions.

"We are on orders from the Allfather to take her into Asgard," one guard said.

Loki growled. "Change of plans," he said, and flung the first dagger at a guard's helmet.

Chaos ensued. The guards all rushed at Loki, aiming to disarm and subdue him rather than kill him, like most enemies. Loki didn't have time for an illusion, not with so many enemies.

Loki danced between them, his body nimbly moving between their attacks while defending against others using both daggers and magic. He bent over as a fist swung at his head, then moved to a handstand and swung his legs around, his feet crashing into the guard in front of him. He followed through, falling on top of the guard back-first, but he stood up and faced the other guards as his magic knocked the fallen guard out.

One lunged, his arm outstretched to grab Loki's wrist, but he caught his wrist first and spun him around, twisting his arm up his back. The guard hissed, but quickly fell limp in Loki's arms as he tapped his head and the guard went unconscious.

Instantly, Loki dropped the guard, spun on his heel and raised both hands to block a forearm strike from another guard. He pushed desperately against the guard's strong arm, before he saw a flash of gold and a guard's spear hit the back of his knees.

His knees buckled and he lost the grip on the guard's arm. He moved to stand again, but three pairs of hands held him down. He growled, his magic flaring, and blasted outward. All three guards went flying back and hit the walls of the corridor.

Loki sprinted towards Maria. He stopped and spun on his heel when he reached her and threw up a magical barrier filling the whole corridor top to bottom and side to side. The guards smashed against it, then their shoulders slumped as they watched Loki walk away with Maria. As an afterthought, he knocked out the last three guards.

Loki slumped against the wall around the corner, panting. His magic had lent him energy throughout the entire fight, plus knocking out the guards and that burst at the end. He was feeling the drain as the adrenaline rush ended and his entire body went nearly limp. Loki's head thudded back against the wall and he steadied his breathing. Maria stood to the side. She glanced down the hallway every few seconds, and Loki could see her nervousness.

He closed his eyes and gathered up what little bit of magic he had left, then abruptly stood up. He fought off the dizziness from standing up and pulled a dagger out from his clothes with one hand. His other hand found Maria's and they began walking down the hallway, both alert like hunted animals as they turned the corner and started down a staircase.

Halfway down, Loki stopped. He turned to the wall of the staircase and set his fingers against it lightly. With a bit of effort, he called up his magic and sent it out to his fingertips, then pressed lightly inwards.

A small square part of the wall slid into a tunnel, pushing all the way to the back of it before stopping. Loki gestured in. Maria crawled in.

"Turn left," he instructed. She did so and found another tunnel branching off with a small light at the end of it.

He nodded. "I can hide you in here for now. There is a room at the end of that tunnel you can stay in while I try to get better care for you."

Maria nodded. She glanced up at Loki. "Will you be okay? I know your father isn't exactly pleased with you right now…"

He sighed, then nodded. "He's never pleased with me. No matter what I do… well, we don't have to get into that. I'll be fine."

Maria nodded slowly, still staring at Loki, whose gaze was turned on the dull concrete tunnel floor. "Okay… I hope so. I don't want you to be punished for something that was my fault."

Loki's head snapped up and his voice was suddenly sharp. "Don't you ever say that. This was your father's fault, not yours. Don't ever blame yourself for something he did. And, this whole situation is my fault. I'm the one who stood up during court and defended you, and I'm the one defending you now."

Maria suddenly felt guilt wash through her for putting Loki through this, for being so helpless and desperate that a Prince of Asgard was going through all of this for her. She glanced down.

"Do… do you regret it?"

"No. No, I don't regret any of it. I've been bullied by Thor's friends, overshadowed by Thor himself, and overlooked by my father for my entire life. I know what it is to be alone. I'm giving you the chance for a better life than I had," he gave a small smile, "even if there's a bit of adventure along the way."

Maria smiled, then glanced down as it faded. She nodded. "Okay. I trust you. I should probably get going before the Allfather sends more guards after me."

Loki nodded, clearing his throat, then turned away. "Yeah, you probably should. I'll see you later."

He waited until Maria was fully down the side tunnel, then he pressed his fingers on either side of the opening, released some magic, and waited until the wall had slid back into place. The magic on the secret tunnel made the seams invisible against the rest of the wall.

He stood up and nodded, as if confirming something to himself, then started the walk back to his room.


	19. Chapter 19: Abused Part 5

_A/N: I changed the rating on this entire collection because of this story and this chapter, which has a few swear words in it. This story should be coming to an end next chapter. Enjoy and please review!_

Loki woke up the next day and, as soon as the haze of sleep left, a feeling of apprehension settled in his stomach. He wondered what Odin would make of his running off with Maria, and what would happen to him and Maria. He stood up, then gave a small, satisfied smile as he felt a new energy running through him-his magic had been fully restored during his rest.

He dressed quickly and walked down to the smaller sitting room, where he knew Odin and Frigga would be. He was about to open the door when he heard raised voices from inside.

"Odin, Loki is right! Sometimes, you are heartless, and one of those times is now! Do you not see how much he cares for the girl? This isn't just some charity case, Odin, he connects with her on a different level, and that means that he isn't going to let her go like you're suggesting. He won't stop until she is cared for like he means for her to be."

Loki paused and listened, a small smile coming to his face as he listened to Frigga defend him.

"Frigga, you're thinking too much into this. Loki has never truly cared for anyone besides his family. He is not someone who _connects_ to people as much as you say he does. Loki is someone who is naturally predisposed to mischief-playing with the circuit board of the Realms and seeing where the lights go out-but you and I both know that's not the only reason. You know he's not favorable towards Asgardians, Frigga," Odin replied. Loki's smile faded as Odin's words played inside his head.

 _...naturally predisposed to mischief-playing with the circuit board of the Realms and seeing where the lights go out-but you and I both know that's not the only reason._

 _...you and I both know that's not the only reason._

 _...that's not the only reason._

Loki's mind froze on that phrase. Not the only reason? Well, he didn't know of any other reason. He had magic and was isolated from other Asgardians. What other reasons were there? He had grown up causing mischief because he liked it and he was good at it.

Loki was tempted to dismiss Odin's words, but he decided to file them in the back of his mind. Maybe, when he was older, they'd tell him, though he didn't know how much older he could get before Odin was making Thor king.

He kept listening, shoving the thoughts aside.

"...shouldn't dismiss his feelings, Odin," Frigga's voice said. "He has more to him than you've ever bothered to pay attention to."

" _Emotions are good if they're used the right way, Loki. And you, I believe you could be very powerful, if only you learn how to use your emotions. You feel things very strongly, and that could be incredibly beneficial to you later in life."_ Frigga's voice played inside his mind. It was something she had told him when he was a little younger, and something he repeated every time he used his magic.

Odin's voice came almost sadly from the other side of the door. "I know, Frigga. I don't pay attention to him as much as I should. But Thor will be king in a few centuries and I need to make sure he is ready."

Frigga sighed. "Just… reconsider, Odin. Loki _does_ have feelings, and I can sense that they are much stronger than you think they are for this girl. He can connect to her on a deeper level than most, which is why I ask you to reconsider. Loki will not grow older and be a kind person if he is continually rejected like this. Right now, his life is like a seesaw. With a past like his, he could go two directions: good, or evil. Make sure no one else suffers like he did, or make sure everyone else suffers like he did. Allowing him to take care of Maria will be one major step closer to making sure he does not turn evil."

Loki pushed the door open at the end of this sentence. Odin and Frigga both turned to him. Odin looked tired-but not tired for sleep, more like tired of holding up the millennia-old burden of Asgard on his shoulders. His forehead was creased and Loki could see gray hairs, while his face was wrinkled with age.

Loki bowed his head, feeling slightly nervous, even after hearing their conversation.

"Mother. Father," he said. He heard Odin sigh.

"Loki, I… owe you an apology... for my earlier actions. I shouldn't have done what I did... " He paused, then raised his head higher and his voice became more certain. "From now on, you will be able to take care of Maria and she will be given a job as a maid in the palace for her life if she wishes. She will be well taken care of."

Loki opened his mouth to thank Odin, but he continued. "However, that does not excuse what you did."

"Odin!" Frigga said sharply.

He sighed. "I will excuse it this time, but should it happen again I will not be quite so forgiving. A father cannot have a rebellious son, after all."

Loki nodded, feeling slightly surreal. Was this really happening? He was expecting denial and had fully prepared himself to fight back yet again.

"You may go retrieve Maria and bring her back to your room. I assume you will not trust anyone else to take care of her?" Odin asked.

Loki's words failed him for a moment, he was so shocked, before he regained his composure and shifted on his feet. "No, Father. I will go get her."

Odin nodded as Loki stood there, feeling slightly awkward, then glancing up at Odin's expectant face for a second and nodding, then turning and walking out of the silent room.

Loki's magic exploded in a starburst inside of him. He suddenly felt energized and almost started skipping. Since when had Odin ever approved of what he was doing? Since when had he felt this way?

Loki tried to locate the emotion. Was it… elation? Yes, he concluded. He was elated, something he hadn't felt for many centuries. He smiled, genuinely smiled, which unsettled the guards around him, but he didn't care. He had a slight bounce in his step as he made his way towards the staircase, excited to see Maria and inform her of the news.

He went down the stairs two at a time and, in seconds, made it to the correct step. He opened the tunnel and sent a bolt of magic down it which would turn into a note once it reached her and tell her that she could come out.

He waited, his smile slowly fading with every minute that passed.

He glanced around, his elation gone and apprehension and dread filling its place. He sent magic out and searched the room down the tunnel, but he didn't sense any human presence at all.

 _Someone took Maria._

His mouth set in a firm line, Loki closed the tunnel and tried to narrow down the list of who would try kidnapping Maria, ignoring the fact that no one knew of his hiding place, because obviously someone else did besides Maria.

 _Her father-but that's unlikely, he's not granted clearance to the palace and it's under heavy security… a guard, but Odin did not order that, unless he went rogue-_

"Looking for someone?"

 _-Raol._

Loki's magic flared up as he heard footsteps walk slowly down the steps towards him. He stood up from his crouch and turned, glaring at Raol as he made his way down. Loki wanted to slap the smug smirk off his face.

Loki ignored the cliche "What did you do with her?" question and stayed silent, allowing for the cliche villain monologue before Raol got his arse kicked.

"I might've stolen her for a bit. Why, were you looking for her? Oh, but I thought the brave hero was above all! Floating on glory!" Raol taunted. Loki almost flung a dagger at him right then and there, but he stayed still as a statue, his features etched in marble and cold as stone.

Raol shifted, unsettled by the lack of response and running out of taunts. After all, there was only so much one could taunt with the material Loki had given him.

Loki's face stayed stone cold as he took a slow step forward. His voice was low, soft. Deceptively soft—if Raol didn't know better, he'd think that he was being forgiven.

Instead, Raol's heart began pounding and a bolt of fear shot through him. Damn, Loki was good at this. He didn't do it often, but he sure had mastered being spine-chillingly threatening.

"And what exactly did you hope to accomplish?" Loki's voice was calm, but inside his magic was like a burning fire flowing through his veins. He took another step forward, his feet falling silently on the step and his pace threateningly leisurely.

"I—I—Hel, you're good at this!" Raol couldn't think of anything else to say. He simply stood there, frozen, as Loki tilted his head slightly.

"Are you trying to avoid the question?" He tilted his head back to normal and continued staring at Raol , who was already regretting his actions. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"What did you hope to accomplish, Raol? Ticking me off? That is something of which I assure you," he threatened as he stepped forward, "is definitely not your best idea."

Raol swallowed hard. Well, he thought, he couldn't go down as the biggest coward in history just because Loki, god of lies, suddenly got very quiet… and imposing… and tall… and radiating waves of cold anger…

He shook his head. "Ticking you off is my specialty. But you can't hurt me, can you? I'm a noble lord's son. Hurt me and the house of Odin will be blamed. I'm sure your father wouldn't be pleased that you caused trouble for him and his political alliances over a little girl."

Loki laughed. "You think I care about my father's political alliances? I care about Maria, who is currently under the palace's protection. If you are found kidnapping her, I certainly won't be the one getting in trouble. I'm sure your father wouldn't be pleased that you caused trouble for him and his political alliances over your petty feud with me."

"If I'm petty for participating in this feud, then so are you. You're the one who retaliates," Raol shot back, feeling slightly more confident.

That confidence quickly dissipated as Loki's hand shot out. Magic flew from it in a rope formation, wrapping around Raol and pinning his arms to his sides. Loki took two long strides forward and stood beside Raol.

"This might hurt," he said sarcastically, then he put a tendril of magic on the edge of Raol's mind and slipped between the thin barrier, searching through his memories. Raol gasped at the sudden, painful intrusion.

 _Raol stayed silent as he stood in the hallway. He heard Loki's footsteps stop abruptly a few hallways down. He stepped out to move and saw a wave of magic approaching. Raol instinctively jumped back. His arm was tingling; as he stared at it, he saw a slight sheen of glowing green fading from it. Raol glanced up, fiercely hoping he hadn't been found._

 _He curled into himself as he heard Loki walk near the desk. The door opened. Raol stayed as still as possible-he was in plain view from where Loki was standing, if only he looked to the side and slightly down. Raol held his breath; then breathed out in a great rush as the door closed with a soft click._

" _What are you doing? Who are you? Where are you-mmf!" Raol shoved a cloth in Maria's mouth as he pulled her down the secret tunnel. She squirmed in her bonds, but couldn't escape the ropes tying her wrists behind her back. She settled on glaring at Raol as she followed him down the tunnel._

 _Raol turned left and opened a metal door. He shoved her into a small room and slammed the door, locking the padlock on it. Now he would try to frame Loki for it and finally get revenge for all the things he had done to him over the years._

" _Did you see Loki today? He was smiling! Maybe it's something to do with that girl he saved." Raol paused, listening to the servant's voice._

" _I heard she was going to stay at the palace as a maid now. That's probably why," another voice came. Raol panicked. He hadn't had time to do anything to prove that it was Loki who locked her in that room! He'd have to move faster._

 _Raol was just about to turn the corner to go down the hallway to the staircase when he heard footsteps. He peeked around and saw Loki striding down the hallway, positively glowing. Raol's face darkened. He'd change that very quickly._

 _Raol smiled. Loki was about to get a nasty surprise._

Raol was panting at the end of it. He still felt the intrusion in his mind-a searing pain, stabbing at his conscience. Invading his most personal thoughts. He glared at Loki, who released him and stepped away. Loki glanced at Raol with disdain, like he was lesser, then turned without a word and went up the stairs. He'd had enough.

Raol sighed. His plan had failed, and he resented Loki for it. He was so damn good. And, though Raol resented Loki and his magic, he still felt a tiny shred of respect for him and how well he used his power.

He turned and walked down the stairs, now aimlessly exploring the castle and waiting for when the news came of his father calling for him.


	20. Chapter 20: Abused Part 6

_A/N: So, this story went very, very different from what I thought it'd be. It was going to have something to do with a Valkyrie, but then Raol decided to be an evil little sh/t and this happened. So I'm changing the title and maybe I'll have that Valkyrie story later. Also, sorry I took so long to update. I lost inspiration, but eventually forced myself to finish this story. Anyway, enjoy and please review._

Loki wove his way through the castle corridors, his mouth set in a firm line as he strode quickly down the hallways. Every guard and servant he passed shied away from him; he wasn't angry often, not as much as he was now, but when he was, he was a force to be reckoned with. Loki's mind held a map of where she was based on Raol's memories; he knew exactly where to go.

Loki turned down a hallway and found an out-of-the-way metal door; he opened it and went down the staircase into a dark tunnel.

He summoned some magic and lit up the tunnel. Using the map, he turned left and walked swiftly down the tunnel, then turned left again and found the tunnel to end in a metal door.

He was here.

A small burst of magic unlocked the door with a click; a firm push made the door swing wide open. The room was dark, lit only by a single candle. The candle's light illuminated a dull, smooth concrete floor and terrified blue eyes. Loki watched as Maria's face lit into recognition, the terror leaving her eyes and being replaced by hope.

She stood up, her hands behind her back, and walked towards him. He pulled the cloth from her mouth and she smiled.

"You're here! I thought that you'd never come-" She cut off abruptly. Loki hadn't said anything and his face hadn't changed from its resolute anger, staring at the wall behind her. Maria felt something welling inside her-panic. The familiar panic; the voice in her head that whispered to her that _I did something wrong_ and _pain was coming_.

The familiar darkness crept up on her. Her mind started whirling; what did she do? What would _he_ do? She felt her body beginning to shake, her thoughts solidifying into _don't hurt me_ and _it wasn't my fault._

Despite her fears, she still had a rational part of her that told her that _this wasn't her father,_ and she forced herself to calm down, ask him if it was her. She'd never do this with her father-he usually just started yelling.

Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, sounding as if it was made of glass and could shatter at any moment. That was how she felt now, how she felt every time something like this happened.

"Loki?"

He stayed still for a moment, before his posture relaxed. He glanced down at her, his green eyes clear and holding warmth in them as they stared into her blue. His eyes darted to the ropes binding her wrists and she felt them fall away. She brought her hands around front and rubbed her chafed wrists.

She had stopped shaking and the darkness fell away, as it always seemed to do when Loki looked at her. It never did with anyone else, it seemed, only with him. Maybe it was his aura, though she thought that most of the time his aura came off as a liar and deceiver, cold and untrustworthy.

Maybe it was because he'd revealed to her a kind, vulnerable part of himself that rarely anyone got to see. The part that, when it cared, it cared with its whole heart, and when it loved, it loved with its entire being. The part that was fiercely protective and carefully guarded, buried underneath layers and layers of lies, illusions, and sarcastic remarks.

The part that dreamed and imagined beyond life, beyond reality. Who looked up at the stars and wished; who trusted, who gave and expected nothing back. The part that bursted with color and life and possibility-the part that hoped.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Maria nodded. He gave a short nod, then turned and began walking out. She hurried to keep up with his long, quick strides. He still seemed angry, she thought as she half-jogged to stay even with him.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked.

His entire aura seemed to darken, becoming cold and unforgiving. She felt an irrational fear seep into her, one that told her to _run, run for your life_ in the face of this calm, carefully controlled, lethal rage. She almost started running, but forced herself to stay at a half-jog, fighting her primal instincts which had been carefully honed during her lifetime to stay away from anger like his.

"I'm going to take care of things," he said, and something in the way he said it gave her chills. She shivered.

"Loki, tell me what you are going to do. You can't turn to violence every time something like this happens. I would know," Maria said.

For the first time, Loki questioned himself. Not what he was about to do now; what he had always done. If someone deserved his wrath, they got it-and now was more of a time to be wrathful than ever. But, when he thought of Maria-she had lived her entire life in the face of anger, and look where it had gotten her. She lived a life of fear, fear of men and feelings, fear of independence and creativity, because all that they brought her was pain.

He slowed to let her keep up with him easier and turned towards her. "You're remarkable, you know that," he said. He was at a loss for anything else to say, so he resorted to compliments. No one- _no one-_ had ever made him question how he went about doing things like she just did. Actually getting Loki to listen, _really_ listen, was a feat in itself.

Maria was confused. She had never been complimented before-when she actually did something right in her father's household, she got silence and a few hours of less pain than usual. "Thank you...I think?"

Loki gave a half-smile. "I'm a stubborn person, I can admit that much. I don't listen half as much as people would like me to-" he thought of Odin's years of attempting to teach him, and almost laughed, "-but you have somehow gotten me to listen to you. Somehow, you've made me better for knowing you. A small, abused peasant girl like you has changed a stubborn, mischievous Prince of Asgard. That's remarkable."

Maria was still thoroughly confused. She didn't really do anything… he was the one who stood up that day at court, he was the one who comforted her when she was panicking, he was the one who did everything… all she did was play the damsel in distress.

But maybe, Maria thought, that was what Loki needed. He needed someone he could save, wanted to save. He needed to feel like he was a hero, because all too often he felt like he was the sidekick, the second son. Always second in line for everything.

Maybe this was good for him, she thought, glancing up at Loki, who had started walking again and was staring straight ahead. Closing himself off again.

She smiled.

"Thank you."

Loki watched as Raol was sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to frame a royal family member. He was a teen, so his punishment wasn't half as bad as most people's, but Loki would make sure that he didn't have a fun time in that cell.

Loki wasn't going to hurt him. Maria had made him promise her that, and he hadn't planned on doing it anyway. One of the reasons was that it'd be far too much cleaning up to do, and he didn't feel like covering his tracks. Plus, Raol was too untrustworthy to keep his secret, especially if his secret was at Raol's expense.

The major reason was Maria. She had made him promise her, but he had already promised himself that he wasn't going to be like her father. He wasn't going to turn to violence every time he was angry. He'd try to be a better person, if only for the fact that he knew someone who would want him to be one, and that someone he wouldn't want to hurt. He wouldn't be violent.

 _I'll just be mischievous,_ he thought, smirking as Raol glared at him from his place between two guards.

No, Raol would _not_ have a fun time in that cell.

Loki watched as Maria was deemed a palace maid. He had made sure she would be taken care of. For the first year, she'd be given just a bit more food than the other maids. Not enough to make the others jealous, but enough that her body would hopefully start to fill out and she would look healthier than she was now. Then, for the first month, she'd be given lighter chores than the rest as well as an hour dedicated to her own self-care and general healing each day. These three requirements meant that Loki had made sure she would heal from her past, both physically and mentally.

He had also told the head maid another thing, but he hadn't told Maria this. He had asked the head maid to make sure she was put in spaces where she wouldn't be yelled at, and her chores, especially if they were for people, were in quiet, calm environments. He knew firsthand what happened if she was feeling threatened, and he would try to make sure that never happened again. Loki never wanted her to feel that darkness again.

Maria smiled at him as she entered the warm lighting of the maid's quarters. He gave a small smile back, listening to the maids smoothly taking her into their close-knit circle. They would be like a whole bunch of mothers to her, he thought.

And the Norns knew that was what she needed, after her history.


End file.
